Fury
by NikkiKelly
Summary: Rogue's first mission yields a mutant with powers like hers and another like someone else she knows. Has Weapon X been revived or did it ever die? LR and two OC. Not a love square or triangle. Please rate and review, but be gentle!
1. First Timers

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the X-men (although I wish I had Wolverine or Gambit to cuddle with... Gimme!) Marvel owns them. I do however own Dom and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire.**_

_**Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.**_

****

Jubilee blew a large bubble of pink gum and shrieked when Kitty popped it over her face.

"Kitty! That was the best one yet!" Jubilee complained.

"I know, but it was funnier to pop it."

"You suck!"

"I do not!"

"Shut up!"

Logan winced and looked to Scott. "We're sending them on a mission together?"

Scott shrugged. "They have to grow up sometime. Besides Rogue will be with them. She's a little more mature."

Logan grumbled. "I don't see why we can't go-"

"Because a teenage girl would trust other teenage girls more than she would us," Jean casually sat next to Scott. "The girls will be fine. Xavier and I found them a nice hotel and all they have to do is go there and talk to the girl."

Rogue came to the door with her bags in hand. She smiled at Logan. "Talking about me?"

"Just wondering how you're going to handle those two." He jerked his head in the direction of Jubilee and Kitty's argument.

Rogue rolled her eyes and brushed back one of her white locks of hair. "Don't worry. I can handle them. If it was you on the mission with me, then I'd be scared.

He snorted and chewed on the end of his cigar.

"Don't worry, sugah. We'll be fine. And if I need a big bad protector, I know who to call."

Jean hid a smile. She knew how much those two cared about each other. It went far beyond the protectiveness Logan had always felt for the young girl. It had evolved into something deeper, although neither was brave enough to bring it to light. She watched as Logan took Rogue's bag and loaded them into the SUV. Scott and Hank helped with the other girls' things. Kitty and Jubilee excitedly loaded stuff into the SUV.

Xavier rolled up to them in his wheelchair. He gave them all a warm smile. "Good morning. I trust you girls are ready to go?"

Kitty nodded. "I can't wait! It's like our first real mission!"

"The first of many, I hope," Xavier said. "Remember girls, if you have any trouble-"

"Don't hesitate to call," all three girls chorused.

Xavier handed Rogue a file. "Here, Rogue. This is all the information we could get on the girl. Be careful."

She nodded and took the manila envelope. She scanned the contents quickly, twirling the SUV keys in her free hand. Logan watched, his jaw tense. He grabbed Rogue's arm as she turned to climb into the vehicle.

"Listen kid… If anything goes wrong… or anything happened and you can't handle it…"

"I know, Logan. I can call you and you'll kick the crap out of it." Rogue smiled. "I'll be fine. We'll all be fine. All we have to do is go and talk to this girl. We'll be back in a week, tops."

He grunted a reply. "Be careful kid."

"I'm not a kid." She grinned and climbed into the driver's seat. Take a close look and you'll notice, she thought. She started the engine and held her gloved hand out to the Professor. "We'll bring her back."

"I trust you will, Rogue. Good luck."

She nodded and gave Logan a small wave. Kitty leaned over from her passenger side seta and set the radio on a station and began to sing along with the song she found. Jubilee begged her to shut it off and Rogue rolled her eyes. She put her foot to the accelerator and pulled away from the group.

Logan watched the vehicle until it was a spot in the distance, anxiety gnawing at his gut. He was worried about Rogue.

"Don't worry Logan. New York isn't that far away." Hank put his large blue hand on Logan's shoulder. "As a great mind once said, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'."

"I'm going to the Danger Room for some exercise," Logan growled and stalked inside the house.

"I'm afraid our Wolverine is going to be very inconsolable for a while."

Scott snorted. "I wish those two would just say I love you to each other and get it over with."

"Give them time. I think they are both in disbelief that the other cares for them the same way. 'Love will find a way'." Hank followed them back into the house. "Until then we will just have to avoid him as much as possible."

"That won't be hard," Scott stated. "He'll avoid us."

"Until he and Rogue admit their feelings, then I'm afraid we will have to put up with his… many attitudes." Xavier stated. "I have a Physics class to attend to. I'll see you all at dinner."

"And I have a Biology class that insists we dissect frogs today," Hank chuckled. "I imagine this will be an adventure."

Jean watched Hank lumber away and crossed her arms over her chest. "I have faith in the girls."

"I think we should have gone. I'm worried." Scott confessed. "You could have controlled her."

"The professor doesn't want me back in the field just yet. We still aren't sure about what happened at Alkali Lake. We don't understand how I survived Scott. We aren't sure about this newfound power I have."

"Your mutation has always been powerful."

"Sometimes power scares me. The girls will be fine. I'll be fine and we'll just leave it at that, okay?" She squeezed his hand and pulled him towards the kitchen. "Now come on. You owe me a milkshake."


	2. Familiarities

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the X-men (although I wish I had Wolverine or Gambit to cuddle with Gimme!) Marvel owns them. I do however own Dom and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire.**_

_**Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.**_

_**Note: Astral's power is being able to project her astral form to a place nearby and then her physical form catches up. If you've ever seen The Chronicles of Riddick, it's like what the Lord Marshall can do. **_

* * *

She wandered down the streets, alone. Covered by a cloak, resembling a burqa she tried to make herself unnoticeable. She crossed the street and headed for the park in hopes of finding a place to sleep for the night. Earlier that night, she had been confronted by three young girls. They had claimed to be mutants who wanted to help her. They wanted to take her to a doctor… no that wasn't right… a professor who could help her at a school for mutants. She told them she would think about it. The one with the white streaks claimed her skin was the same as hers. Poison. Yet this one called Rogue had overcome her skin and could touch.

Right now she was too tired to think about them. All she wanted was to sleep. She found a park bench that was fairly secluded and laid down. Curling her arm under her head, she closed her eyes, hoping for sleep to come.

"What are you doing?" a voice interrupted.

The girl sat up quickly and stared at the police officer standing before her. "I was tired and I-"

"You can't sleep in the park. Are you a runaway?"

"No, I-"

"Come with me. I'll have to take you in."

"No." The girl rose to her feet. "I can't."

"Don't make it rough on yourself."

The girl turned and began running across the lawn. She heard an inhuman roar and a large furry man leapt in her path. "Slow down, girlie. All I want is a taste."

The girl gasped and turned, only to run into the police officer.

"I told you not to run," the policed officer said as he morphed into a beautiful woman with scaly blue skin and red hair. "It's so much easier if you don't run."

"What do you want from me?"

"We're here to help you." The blue woman smiled. "Help you control your powers."

"Who are you?"

"We are a brotherhood of mutants, fighting to preserve our freedoms. We are always in search for powerful mutants to help the cause and we have found you."

"I don't want any part of any brotherhood. I just want to be left alone."

"Is that so? You don't want to control your toxic skin?"

"Leave me alone. I just want to be left alone."

"You are coming with us whether you like it or not. Restrain her Sabretooth."

The furry man grabbed her arms and she screamed in protest.

"Hey! Back off fuzz ball!" Jubilee yelled and held out her hands as her yellow coat whipped around her. Kitty stood to her immediate left, in a fighting stance while Rogue glared at Mystique.

"Look Xavier sent rug rats after us!" Sabretooth laughed.

"Us 'rug rats' will kick your ass!" Kitty snarled. "Leave Nikki alone!"

"And who will make us?" Mystique asked with a smirk. "You?"

"Damn right."

"Leave Nicole alone, Mystique. She doesn't want to go with you," Rogue ordered.

Mystique smiled. "But I'm afraid she will. Kill them."

Sabretooth roared and leapt for Rogue. She dodged him and used her knife to slice his arm open.

"I thought you would be dead by now, girlie."

"I thought you died," she countered.

"You can't kill me, but you can scream for me," he growled and she watched as his cut healed itself. He grabbed her arms and she kicked out one leg to hit him in the groin. He snarled and went down on one knee. "Bitch!"

Jubilee held out her hands and blasted Mystique with energy. Mystique used a spin kick to knock Jubilee to the ground. Getting back to her feet, quickly, Jubilee took a fighting stance.

"You want Kung Fu? I'll give it to you!" Jubilee attacked Mystique, using all forms of the karate method she learned.

Rogue yelled. "Get Nicole out of here, Kitty!"

Kitty turned to Nicole. "Let's go!"

Nicole stared at her in fright. "I-"

Jubilee cried out as Mystique knocked her to the grass.

"Stay back!" Kitty ordered as she went to help Jubilee.

Mystique had Jubilee pinned to the ground and was strangling her. Kitty tackled Mystique and they tumbled to the grass. Kitty punched the blue woman in the face. Jubilee turned her attention to Sabretooth, who was trying to get his hands on Rogue. Suddenly, Sabretooth flew backwards and tore through a tree. Jubilee turned to see Nicole holding her hands out in front of her.

"She used her mind." Jubilee's mouth hung open. "She's, like, as powerful as Jean!"

"A little help!" Kitty yelped as she fended off Mystique. Rogue jumped onto the blue woman's back and tried to take of her gloves to absorb her. Mystique flipped Rogue onto her back and snarled.

"You little runts will pay."

"Don't move… or I slice her."

They all turned to see Sabretooth holding Nicole, on of his claws against the black cloth covering her throat.

"Get away from her." He ordered and the girls backed away from Mystique. He leaned down to whisper in Nicole's ear. "How about a scream?"

Nicole stomped on his foot with her steel toed boots and he howled. She tried to run, but he grabbed her and threw her to the ground. He raised his claws to strike her and Mystique stopped him.

"Stop. Eric wants her alive."

"The little bitch-"

"I don't care. She needs to be alive. If you are bent on killing something, then kill them." She nodded her heads towards the three girls.

He grinned and turned. He ripped the metal park bench out of its concrete posts and held it up over his head. With an evil snarl, he threw the bench at the three girls. Rogue and Jubilee dodged it, and Kitty phased through it. He ripped up another bench and prepared to throw and Rogue knew they were in way over their heads.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it wasn't nice to throw benches at ladies?" a voice growled. Rogue turned and gasped.

"Logan?"

The figure stepped from the shadows and Rogue saw it wasn't Logan, but instead a tall man with long black hair. A few day's worth of a beard covered his chin, and he was wearing faded jeans. He tossed his cigarette away and rolled up the sleeves of his black shirt.

"I'm giving you three seconds to get lost, buddy, or I'll send you into a world of pain."

"Big talk. Can you back it up?" Sabretooth growled and sniffed the air.

"Try me."

"You smell familiar… Too familiar!" Sabretooth roared.

The girls watched in astonishment as Sabretooth attacked. The guy sidestepped him and brought his forehand crashing down on Sabretooth's back. The was the distinctive crunch of bone and Sabretooth howled in pain. He lashed out at him with his claws. The guy stumbled back and Rogue focused her attention on where Mystique stood. Mystique's eyes narrowed and she took off through the underbrush. Nicole took her chance and raced away into the night. Rogue almost followed Nicole, but knew she had to stay with her team. She turned back to see Sabretooth on top of the new guy. Jubilee was shooting fireworks at Sabretooth, but it didn't faze him.

"Alright buddy! I warned you," the guy growled from under Sabretooth and Rogue's eyes widened as she saw something she never expected.

"Oh my God."

* * *

Eric watched Mystique as she doctored Sabretooth's broken ribs.

"Three little girls did this to you?" he asked. "Why haven't you healed?"

"He broke all of my damn ribs! They had reinforcements," Sabretooth growled. "That guy smelled way too familiar… He reeks of the past."

"Interesting." Eric used his powers to slide a metal chair to himself. "And the girl?"

"She's more powerful than anything I've ever seen," Mystique confessed. "She threw him through a tree like he was a toy. She only used her mind, Eric."

Eric smiled. "So she refused to join our brotherhood?"

"With good means," a voice stated and Eric turned to see an impeccably dressed blonde woman standing in the doorway. "I thought I told you that she was mine, Eric."

"Ah, Astral. I didn't know you were out of prison." Eric watched the as she stood casually in the door. Her long blonde hair was pinned to her head in a chignon and she was in a dress suit.

"It's hard to keep me in there," she was suddenly right beside him, having projected her astral self and letting her body catch up. "You know that. Especially since I have so many friends on the outside."

"What could you possibly want with that girl?" Eric asked. "Besides how powerful she is."

"She is the key to reviving Fury."

"Oh?" Eric smiled. "And you believe that Fury can be revived?"

"I don't believe, Eric. I know."

"Are you interested in picking up where your predecessor left off, Astral?"

"No. I'm starting over and I have an entirely different goal in mind. One more like yours, Eric. Join me and we can work together for the future we envision." Astral breathed in his ear.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but I work alone. Not that I don't appreciate the offer."

"Don't say I never offered you anything," she sauntered away.

"Have you found your Fury, by the way?"

"No. Not yet. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Eric sat down and watched his many metal toys, tinker. Astral gave him a dirty look and left.

"She is dangerous," Mystique noted.

"Yes, but she hasn't thought this through. Fury can't and won't be revived."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know Fury and Fury has no bounds."


	3. Damned

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the X-men (although I wish I had Wolverine or Gambit to cuddle with Gimme!) Marvel owns them. I do however own Dom and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire.**_

_**Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.**_

_**Thanks for the Reviews! I was excited that people are actually reading! Ya'll keep reading and I'll keep writing!**_

**One Month Later…**

"You lied to me Chuck!" Logan growled. "You told me this was a standard mission. They were just going to go and talk to the girl, not follow her across the country!"

"This is hardly following her across the country. They just had to relocate to Miami. Apparently Mystique and Sabretooth intervened-" Xavier wheeled around his desk. Logan had just barged through the door after learning that the girls had relocated.

"They were only supposed to be gone a week at the most! It's been a month."

_**Calm down, Logan. Do you want the children to hear you?**_ Jean's voice interrupted his tirade from a nearby room.

"Maybe I do! Who is this girl?" Logan asked. "Why is she so damn important?"

Xavier took a deep breath. "She's the reason I sent Rogue. Nicole is like Rogue… If someone touches her, then her body will absorb their powers and life force, just like Rogue, but Nicole just taps into their powers. It is her mind that drains their strengths. Her powers are stronger than Rogue's and she can't control them. She also has forms of telepathy and telekinesis."

"So she's dangerous."

"She is if she doesn't learn to control it. She's already put three people in comas. I thought Rogue could help her the most. Calm her a bit. Show her that there is hope to control her powers."

"Rogue is only able to control them for a little while. Not all the damned time!"

"She has made remarkable progress. I hope the same for Nicole."

"I'm going after them."

"It is not necessary. If they had problems, Rogue would have contacted me."

"I don't care. I'm going after Rogue! We should have never sent children on a mission. She's only eighteen."

Xavier gave him a look. "Rogue is twenty-two, Logan."

Logan stopped his tirade. "She is?"

"Since January."

"I have to go after her, Charles."

Xavier sighed, "If you insist. Take Jean and Scott with you. I'm sure the girls are fine. Rogue called a few days ago and-"

Logan stormed from the room. "You heard him Jeanie! Pack up One Eye and let's go!"

Jean sighed from the other room and looked to Scott. "You heard him. I guess we are going after the girls."

* * *

Logan stepped into the bar and his nostrils flared at the smell of blood and beer. He watched as two men attacked each other in a caged stage in the middle of the bar. It reminded him of where he had met Rogue in Canada. Jean and Scott were right behind him and he took a breath and caught Rogue's scent. Across the cage he saw Jubilee, Kitty and Rogue all sitting at a table. They were staring at the cage and the men fighting in it. He could see Jubilee whispering about the fighters and could guess she wasn't discussing their fighting skills.

His gaze went back to the cage, where a large, dark headed man was standing. He rolled his head around, the joints cracking. He towered victoriously over the fallen fighter. He spit out a mouthful of blood and exited the ring. He went to Rogue's table and she handed him his shirt with a smile as he sat. Logan growled at the smile she gave him. Who the hell was he?

Another guy made his way to the table and began talking to Rogue. Logan tensed and started to head towards them. Jean put a restricting hand on his arm as the large guy at their table stood and grabbed the guy that was bothering Rogue by the shirt front. The cage fighter snarled at the guy and the drunk pushed him back. The cage fighter lifted the guy as if he were a rag doll and threw him into a table. One of the moron's friends jumped Rogue's savior and soon it escalated into a brawl. Logan rushed to Rogue and grabbed her arm.

"Rogue!"

"Logan? What are you-"

"We need to get you girls out of here, now."

"No, we can't!"

"Yes. Now!"

"We can't leave Dom!"

"Who?" Scott asked.

Rogue wrestled her arm free from Logan and leapt on top of a guy. Logan cursed and started to attack whoever came close to Rogue. His eyes widened as he watched Rogue get thrown to the floor. She grunted in pain. Kitty gasped as two fighting men tumbled her way and she phased through them.

"Get Dom!" Kitty yelped. "This is getting worse!"

"Dom! Let's get out of here!" Jubilee yelled as fireworks erupted from her palms to fend off attackers. "Live to fight another day, ya know?"

"Why fight another day when I can fight right now?" a guy growled and he punched a drunken man. He extended his hand to Rogue and pulled her to her feet. "You okay, Rogue?"

"I'm fine. You didn't have to start all that. He was just being a jerk." She said as they exited the building into an alley.

"You told him no and not to touch you. I figured I should just beat it into him and maybe he'd remember. Damn we lost her." Dom looked up and down the alley.

Logan stared at the guy standing before him. He was muscular and tall with dark hair that hung long and wild around his face. What alarmed Logan the most was that he had a strange scent… almost like a predatory scent. The guy's nostrils flared and he stared Logan down with his deep hazel eyes.

"You're a mutant." Logan growled.

"So are you." Dom growled back.

"I don't trust you."

"Same here."

"Logan back off!" Rogue ordered. "Dom helped us out in New York. Mystique decided to show up and he stopped her. He fought Sabretooth."

Jean chuckled. "That's impressive."

"I don't care what he did. Why is he here?" Logan snarled and got nose to nose with the guy.

"Rogue asked me to come."

"Her name is Marie." Logan released his claws and held the tips against Dom's taunt stomach. "I'll cut you apart if I even see you looking at her funny and-"

Dom's fist came up and two blades framed Logan's face. "Nice set of knives… Too bad I got a set too. Don't have a handy middle one though."

Logan retracted his and stared the guy down. He asked, hoarsely, "Where did you get those?"

"I'm guessing the same place you got yours, seeing as how they are so much alike."

"Stryker… I knew Sabretooth and Yuriko were part of the Weapon X program, but-"

Rogue cut him off. "That's why Dom is with us… He's like you Logan"

Dom looked a round. "Look we can talk about how much I'm like him later. Cop's will swarm this place pretty soon."

"Meet us at the hotel." Rogue went to the vehicle.

Dom grabbed a bag from the back of the SUV and slung it over his shoulder. "I've got her scent and I wanna find her before I lose it."

"Be careful."

He jogged off into the night and was gone. Jubilee grinned and nudged Jean.

"He's hot isn't he?"

* * *

Bundled in her cloak, the young woman almost sweltered in the hot Miami heat. Granted it was still night, it was still hot. She glanced down at her glove covered hand. She had to cover her skin… her poisonous skin. She choked back a sob. She hugged her legs and stared as the wave rolled in to the shore. She heard a noise behind her and turned around. She saw the large man from New York. The one with the claws. He held out his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"Nicole, right? My name is Dom… I was with Rogue… The one who talked to you before at the bar? She tried to help you in New York?"

"The one who is like me? Who has the poisonous skin that she can control?"

He nodded.

She looked down at her hands again. "She said maybe I could learn to control mine, like she did?"

"Maybe… I don't know."

"Why are you with them?" she stared him down with her endless blue eyes. "You aren't an X-man."

Dom shrugged. "They know someone like me. They might be able to help me."

He felt a tug in his mind and realized she was reading it.

"Someone with three claws, not two and metal bones…"

"Don't go snooping around too much."

"Sorry." She stared at the ocean. "Sometimes I can't help it."

"If you give them a chance, then maybe they could help you."

"As if anyone could help me. I'm poisonous to anyone I touch. My touch can kill someone."

"Just talk to them… I trust Rogue."

"You don't trust anyone. You only know that she's not scared of those," she said pointing to his hands. "Doesn't hurt when they come out?"

Dom looked down at his knuckles and the scars on them. He nodded, "Every time. Every damn time."

"Where did they come from?"

"I don't know. I can't remember."

"Strange that you can't remember something like that. Do you believe that they could help me?"

"Why don't you come with me and ask? If you don't like it then tell them where to shove it and leave. No one's forcing you. It's a free country."

"The blue woman tried to. She had awful thoughts in her head. I'll go with you and see them again. If I don't trust what they say then I'll leave and I don't want to be bothered again."

"Fair enough. Come with me and we'll go and talk to them. You don't like hat you hear and you can keep on running."

She rose and followed him down the street. "Why do you follow them if you trust no one?"

"They could help me find answers to my life."

"What if they aren't the answers you want?"

He shrugged and thought, _I'll cross that bridge when I get there_.

"Only as long as it doesn't burn behind you," Nicole whispered as she heard his thought.

* * *

"We've talked to her some," Rogue explained as they drove to their hotel. "She's really skittish."

"She's been on the road for six months. Traveling around and staying in one place only long enough not to be noticed," Kitty interjected. "It's sad."

"She wears this robe thing that covers her whole body like she's in Saudi Arabia or something. She's so scared of her skin." Jubilee stated. "And then Mystique-"

"Whoa go back. Where did you run into Mystique?" Jean asked.

"New York. She and Sabretooth showed up. They were after Nicole. It got really bad, but then Dom showed up. He just waltzed up and smart mouthed them. Sabretooth recognized him and attacked. Dom helped us fight them off. He was amazing! A lot like you, Logan!" Kitty exclaimed.

Rogue pulled into a small motel. "After the fight, Dom seemed ashamed by his claws… He tried to leave, but I stopped him and asked about them. Nicole had run away, and after some persuasion we talked Dom into going after her with us. We were talking to her in the bar tonight before the fight started."

Scott nodded. "You girls did the right thing."

Tears came to Rogue's eyes. "You should have seen him, Logan. He was so ashamed after the fight. Like we were going to turn on him or hate him or something. He turned so animalistic."

Logan pulled her from the driver's seat and into his arms. She sobbed against his chest and clung to his shirt. "Its okay, Rogue."

"He's so much like you." She looked up at him with her tear filled eyes. "We have to help him."

Logan gave her a smile. "I'm just glad you're okay, kid. I don't know what I would have done is Magneto had gotten his hands on you."

Rogue gave him a shy smile. "I'm sorry we worried you all."

"I love happy reunions," a voice commented.

They turned and saw Dom seated in a lawn chair outside the door to their rooms. He had a beer in one hand and was smoking a cigarette. He nodded his head towards the seat next to him.

"Look who I found."

The girl was there wrapped in her cloak, staring. She seemed scared. Jean gave her a smile and stepped forward.

"Hello Nicole. My name is Jean-"

"Dr. Jean Grey, a teacher at Charles Xavier's School for the Gifted, Alkali Lake, Scott, telekinesis," Nicole stopped speaking. _**Sorry, but sometimes I can't stop my mind from reading others.**_

Jean gave the girl a warm smile. _**You don't have to be afraid. We can help.**_

"How do you know? How do you know you can help me? That blue woman promised the same thing."

"Mystique is a liar," Logan growled.

"And how do I know you aren't?" Nicole rose to her feet.

"At least come with us to the school. Let the Professor talk to you," Jubilee said. "He helped all of us. He could help you too."

"Can the damned be helped?" Nicole asked.

Rogue walked close to the girl and held out her hand. "I'm damned too, you know."

Nicole stared at Rogue's hand and slowly extended her gloved hand. Rogue took the girl's hand into both of hers and gave the girl a smile.

"I learned to control mine and I think you can too."

Nicole squeezed her hand. "I will go to this Professor, but if he can not help me I will leave."

"You aren't a prisoner," Scott stated.

"I am Mr. Summers. I am a prisoner of my own body."

Logan sat outside with Rogue later that night. "I was worried about you."

"Why? I'm fine. We all were fine."

"You were gone longer than I expected is all… So you like this Dom guy?"

She stared at Logan and laughed. "Dom is my friend, nothing more. Besides, there is only enough room in my world for one Wolverine."

"Oh… So you really think Wheels can help this girl?"

"Nice change of subject. Yes. He helped me."

"She's worse off than you."

"He's helped others who were worse off than me. Have a little faith, Logan."

"I'll try. Don't scare me like this anymore, Rogue."

She smiled and hugged him. "I like it when you come chasing after me."

"For some reason, I'll always be chasin' after you, darlin'."

* * *

Nicole slowly walked a short distance away from the motel, lost in her own thoughts. They seemed genuinely concerned for her and trustworthy, but she was still afraid. What if that professor could not help her? She rubbed her arms and walked out onto a pier. She looked out over the ocean and tears came to her eyes.

"Need some company?" A voice broke her thoughts. She turned to see Dom watching her.

"If you want to. I couldn't sleep."

"Me neither. Bad dreams?"

She nodded. "Only they aren't dreams. They are here even when I' awake."

"Don't fret it to much, kid. You'll be fine. Maybe that guy can help you."

"I don't think I can be helped. I've hurt so many people."

Dom came to stand closer to her and put his hand on her arm. "It's okay to be scared."

"Yes, but is it okay to hate yourself? I should not be alive! I am a curse, a demon!" Nikki jerked away from Dom. "My touch kills. I kill."

"It's not your fault. You didn't ask for this."

"Every child asks to be different. I did ask for this in a way."

"No one asks for this. Not is any way. Do you think I asked for this?" Dom unsheathed his claws. "No. I learned to live with it. Put it to good use. Ya know… like cutting fire wood and peeling apples."

She chuckled at the image that came to her mind and he smiled back.

"See, I knew you could laugh."

"Can I touch them?" she asked.

"What?"

"Can I touch them?"

He shrugged. "Sure. Just be careful, because they're sharp."

She raised her gloved hands and took his hand into hers. She ran a finger down one of the claws and pressed her finger to the point. She dropped his hand and looked back at his face. He had trusted her with his claws. She wanted to be able to trust him with her skin. Slowly, she raised her hands to the top of her cloak and pulled the hood down. Dom's eyes widened as he saw the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Her hair was coal black and hung in waves. Her eyes were an endless blue that hypnotized him. She smiled and he couldn't help, but smile back.

"You are a good person, Dominic. Don't change that."

He chuckled. "You seem to be one of the only ones who think so."

Dom caught a familiar scent in the air. He growled and took a fighting stance. Another growl came from the shadows and Sabretooth stepped forward.

"You smell so familiar boy. Who are you?" Sabretooth asked. "You smell… like old memories."

"Yeah and you smell like a wet dog," Dom growled and unsheathed his claws again. "Run Nicole."

Nicole turned and Mystique stood behind her. She gasped and stepped back. "Leave me alone. I don't want to go with you!"

"It would be in your best interests if you didn't put up a fight." Mystique smiled. "I told you before. This time your little metal friend won't be able to help you."

"What makes you think that?" Dom growled.

"I do." A man floated towards them on a metal disk. He grinned. "I hear that adamantium coats your skeleton, young man."

Magneto waved his hand and Dom's body went rigid.

"Damn." Dom grunted and Magneto smiled.  
"Dispose of him," Magneto ordered Sabretooth. "He is worthless to us."

Dom growled and Sabretooth lunged into him. Magneto released his hold and turned his attention to Nicole. Dom's claws sunk into his arm and Sabretooth roared. Spinning around, Dom planted a spin kick to the side of his head. He growled and grabbed Dom by the arms. Sabretooth picked him up and threw him to the ground, hard.

Magneto advanced towards Nicole. "Don't fight us. We can help."

"Back off!" Dom growled as he stood. "The girl is with me!"

Dom advanced on Magneto and Sabretooth stepped between them. "How many times will I have to hurt you before you'll go away?"

With a loud scream, Nicole leapt at Sabretooth and landed on his back. She grabbed his face with her bare hands and he howled as she drained him. He knocked her away and fell to his knees.

"Get away from them!" Logan ordered as he and the others advanced on them.

"Grab the girl!" Magneto ordered. Mystique grabbed for her and Nicole knocked her away with a growl. Logan leapt for Sabretooth and they tumbled. Magneto advanced on Nikki.

"You silly girl. Look at all the trouble you have caused."

"Get away from me!" Nicole used her mind to knock him away. He stared at her, amazed at what he saw in her mind. Fury's past. How did she know?

"Leave the girl! Now is not the time!"

Sabretooth leapt away from Logan and Mystique followed. Magneto turned and smiled at Dom and Nikki. "One more thing."

He levitated Dom and threw him at Nicole. He hit her and they stumbled back to the edge of the pier. They fell over and Rogue screamed.

"NO!"

Dom sailed through the air and it seemed to go in slow motion until he headed down. He hit the icy water and it stung his flesh. He hit a rock and something scraped his head. He fumbled in the water and felt his arm hit something soft. He groped for it and felt Nicole. Tugging her upward, he prayed she wasn't hurt. They broke the surface. He dragged her to the shore and coughed.

"We're here! Down here! Help!" Dom was frantic. "She's not breathing! She's not breathing."

He frantically looked for help and looked to her. He took his bare hand and carefully touched her cheek. Nothing happened. He laid his palm against her smooth skin and felt a pull. Her eyes snapped open and she saw his mind; open to her like a book. She saw a dark headed woman, then it flashed to a laboratory, she felt an immense amount of pain as metal was fused to her bone, and she snapped awake.

Dom stared at her wide eyed and she watched as he crumpled to the sand. Blood poured freely from his head wound. She stared down at her hands and saw the small abrasions disappear as they healed themselves.

"I've killed him," she whispered.


	4. Broken Memories

**_Disclaimer: Blah…. I don't own any of the X-men (although I wish I had Wolverine or Gambit to cuddle with Gimme!) Marvel owns them. I do own Dom and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire and any other characters I create…. BLAH!._**

_**Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews! I feel so loved!**_

**_Bima- Glad you like it. I tried to mirror some _**

_**Starbaby-210- thanks OW. You had better keep on reading! LOL**_

_**CharlietheBoa- Of course it'll be Rogan! Although not as much of them as my new characters. I'm trying to put as much in as possible. I'm not great at juggling characters.

* * *

**_

The pain was immense. He wanted to scream, but couldn't. He couldn't even speak to tell them to stop cutting. He struggled to get free.

Dom awoke with a scream and sat upright. He took deep breaths and looked around to gather his bearings. He was in a med lab. An unfamiliar med lab. He looked all around, trying to get a sense of space. He stood and stumbled into a table, slicing his head on the edge. He growled at his clumsiness and rose. Jean came from the other room.

"Are you okay?" Jean asked.

"Yeah… Just a nightmare and my legs refused to cooperate. How long have I been out?"

"Two days. You saved Nicole's life."

Blood trickled into his eye and he wiped it away with back of his hand. Jean went to his side and used a gauze pad to wipe away the blood.

"Lie down and I'll clean the wound."

Dom sat back on the table and watched Jean use her mind to float a bottle of alcohol to her hand. Jean walked around the table where Dom lay. He stared at the ceiling and winced as she applied the alcohol to the cut above his eye.

"You don't have to do that." He took her wrist in his hand. "I'm fine."

"Relax Dom. I'm just cleaning the cut. If I don't then it will get infected. You may need stitches."

"I'm fine… It'll heal." He looked tired and worn. She watched as the cut above his eye slowly healed and left no evidence of the injury.

"You have regeneration as your mutation."

"How do you think I helped Nicole? How do you think I got these?" He tapped his knuckles.

"May I?" she asked and took his hand. He nodded and she began to feel the joints and up his arm. "Just like Logan's except you don't have a middle one. Even your whole arm feels denser… Harder."

"Adamantium. Every inch of my skeleton is covered with it." He sat up. "Are we done?"

"Almost. I just need a blood sample to run a few more tests."

"Is it necessary? It's no offense Dr. Grey, but I don't trust labs."

"I understand. Unfortunately it is necessary. So what powers have you manifested?"

"I've got claws, I heal faster than normal, I can sense other mutants, and-" he winked. "I've been told I'm one hell of a lover."

"I doubt if that is a mutant power." Jean smirked.

"Ya never know. I've see stranger."

"Not that strange, I'm afraid."

"Relax Dr. Grey. I'm only a flirt. I've no romantic intentions towards you. You can tell that to your boyfriend behind the glass." He nodded his head towards the one way glass across the room. "He's getting nervous. Tell him not to worry. You reek of ownership. No offense."

Jean stared at him. "How did you know?"

"I sense mutants. I can smell him. Besides he wears way too much cologne and-" Dom stopped talking and watched as Xavier wheeled himself into the room.

"Hello Dominic."

"So you must be the Professor every one was talking about." Dom watched as Jean drew a sample of his blood from his forearm.

"I am. It's nice to meet the man who kept my younger members safe. I thank you."

"No problem. Rogue is the only person I've ever met who didn't freak over my… special attributes. I think you've got enough blood there. I need to be able to walk."

Xavier chuckled. "Care for a tour?"

"Can I see Nicole?"

"In due time. Follow me."

Dom hopped from the table and on his way out he smacked Jean on the butt. "Later Dr. Grey."

She stared at him, startled, and Scott entered the room angrily.

"Calm down, Cyke. I said it before. She reeks of ownership, but it doesn't mean I won't flirt." Dom winked. "She wouldn't give me a second glance… or anyone else for that matter."

"I would ask if you wouldn't provoke my tem members while you are here." Xavier told Dom.

"Relax. I won't be here that long. I don't stay in one place for very long." Dom stepped into the hall. "Which way do I go to get food around here?"

* * *

Nicole sat through her new Ancient History class and listened, attentively. She had never imagined there was a place like this. Everyone around her was a mutant and there was no hostility. Even her teacher could manipulate the weather. She smiled at Rogue who sat next to her and leaned over.

"I like it here," she whispered. "Everyone is like me and you."

Rogue smiled. "I knew you would."

Storm turned from the blackboard. "Remember you have a test next week. I expect you all to study for it. Class dismissed."

Nicole rose and hugged her books to her chest. She went to the door and Storm stopped her.

"You forgot your folder, Nicole." Storm held it in her hand.

Nicole used her mind and the folder floated to her arms. "Thank you, Ms. Munroe. Do you know how Dom is doing?"

"I believe Jean said he woke up earlier."

"Good. I'm glad he's okay." Nicole looked sad. "His mind was a sad place."

"How so?" Storm asked.

"There was a lot of pain… and betrayal. Last night I dreamt I was him… after the operation, the pain he felt… He does not heal as fast as Logan did. He was in pain for a long time. A very long time. The dream made me hurt."

Storm gave the girl a smile. "The dreams will leave in time."

"From my mind they will, but they will plague him forever." Nicole left Storm speechless and headed for the Professor's office, where they were to continue her practice to control her powers. She knocked on the door and let herself in.

"Hello Nicole. I have someone here who was worried about you."

Nicole's eyes brightened when she saw Dom lounging in a chair. "Dom!"

She raced to him and launched herself into his arms. Surprised at her actions, he halfway caught her and accepted the hug the young girl offered him. She stepped back and caught him with her deep blue eyes.

"Your dreams are terrible! I didn't get any sleep."

"You have my dreams?"

"When you touched her to give her your healing powers she absorbed your memories and actions," Xavier explained.

She wrinkled her nose. "I had the worst cravings for whisky and I tended to curse a lot."

Dom laughed. "That I get, but what memories? I can't remember anything past five years ago."

"Sure you can. They are just buried really deep. I saw stuff that you have in there that is way past five years ago. Like your mother-"

"My mother? Who was she? What did she look like?" Dom asked.

"Calm down, Dom. That's why I brought you up here today. Nicole tapped into your subconscious and retrieved those memories. She could help unlock yours and Logan's past."

"My mother… Tell me about her," Dom begged Nicole.

"I didn't see much-" Nicole faltered.

'Tell me!" Dom to her small shoulders in his hands and shook her. "I must know!"

"I can't put her into words! All I saw was pictures!"

"Dominic, calm down!" Xavier ordered.

"She has to tell me! Tell me what you saw, Nicole!"

Nicole gave him a push and raced from the room. She didn't stop running until she made it to her room. She collapsed on her bed, a mess of tears. With her mind, she turned all of the locks on her doors. When he grabbed her she could feel all of the hurt and pain rushing back to her from his past. There was no way she could tell him what she saw. He already hurt too much.

* * *

"Your actions were totally unacceptable, Dominic," Xavier stated.

Dom stared out the window. "She knows my past. I need to know. I need to find my family. I need to find who did this to me."

"Let me work with you, much as I did Logan, and I'll try to unlock your subconscious."

"She knows right now. Who knows how long it will take for you to help me?"

"She only saw a little. She is powerful, but inexperienced. Give me time and I promise to help you any way I can."

Dom nodded. "I'll give you some time. If you can't help then I'm leaving."

"Deal."

Jean came to the door. "Professor, you need to see these resu-"

She stopped when she saw Dom. Dom brushed by her and left the room. She stared after him.

"Sorry Professor."  
"It's all right, Jean. What do you have?"

"I noticed some of Dom's striking similarities to another mutant here so I ran a blood test and… Charles… Logan is Dom's father."

Xavier was stunned. "This is most unexpected…"

Jean sat in the chair. "How do we tell Logan?"

"As straight forward as possible."

* * *

Dom went to Rogue's room and knocked on the door. She opened it with a smile. Jubilee and Kitty were sitting on her bed.

"Hey Dom. Welcome back to the land of the living."

"She hates me."

"Huh?" Jubilee asked.

"Nicole… I blew up at her. She saw some of my past that I didn't know was still up there and she couldn't explain it to me and I got pissed. She's scared."

"I'll try to talk to her. So she saw some of your past?"

"My mother, she saw my mother," Dom whispered.

Rogue wrapped her arms around Dom's neck, hugging him to her. "Oh, Dom."

"Get your hands off her!" a voice roared from behind them and she snapped around to see Logan stalking towards them. He shoved Dom away from her. "I told you if I ever saw you near her I'd-"

"Logan! Calm down!"

Jean and Xavier came to the door. Jean asked. "What is all this shouting about?"

"I told you to back off, bub!"

"Logan!" Rogue grabbed his arm. "Dom wasn't trying anything."

"I'm gonna slice you a new one!" Logan growled.

"I don't want _your_ Marie!" Dom yelled. "She's my friend, you nut job."

"Logan calm down. Dom's not after Rogue." Jean stared him down.

Logan snarled. "How do you know?"

"I can read minds, you know." Jean gave him a smile. "He considers Rogue his friend. She didn't freak out about his claws… She was used to them."

"Hmph…" Logan glared at Dom.

"Logan… While Dom was in our med labs… I ran some tests… Blood tests…"

Logan raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"Logan… He's your son."

Rogue gasped. "Are you serious?"

Dom's eyebrow raised and he stared at the man who had just threatened his life.

"You're DNA matches completely. He's our son, Logan.

Logan set his jaw. "There ain't no way that he's my kid."

"The tests can't be wrong, Logan. You have a son."

"He doesn't even look like me."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "He does too. I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"He does have Logan's nose…" Jubilee pondered. "And his profile."

"This is, like, so cool!" Kitty gasped. "Logan has a son! And he's hot like Logan!"

Dom's eyebrow arched again. He glanced at Logan who was staring at him. Logan growled. "Who was your mother, kid?"

"Good question. I don't remember her."

Logan swallowed hard. "So he's really my kid?"

"Yes Logan. And he could have answers about your past in his head." Xavier said. "I offered Dom a chance to recover his memories if I can. Nicole can help if she willing after his outburst."

Logan gave a low growl and exited the room. Rogue followed him outside to the gardens. She grabbed his arm.

"Sug, are you okay?"

"He can't be my son."

"He is hon… There is no denying it."

"If I have a son then I failed him!" Logan yelled. "Those bastards did the same thing to him that they did to me and I didn't stop them!"

"How could you stop them, Logan?" Rogue asked. "You didn't know he existed."

"What happens now? I can't play the father role."

She shrugged. "I'm not sure… You need to talk to him. I'm going up to check on Nicole. He scared her earlier. You talk to your some. Have some male bonding time."

Logan nodded and let Rogue take his hand. She led him back into the house, where everyone was waiting. He straightened his shoulders.

"Where did the kid go?"

Scott nodded over his shoulder. "Gambit took him to the rec room to play pool."

"I guess I should talk to him…"

"That would be the best thing to do."

Logan grunted and stalked towards the rec room.

"So you is the Wolverine's boy, huh? Gambit don't think he's ever heard anything funnier than that, _mon ami_."

"And why do you say that?" Dom asked leaning over to aim for the cue ball.

"Wolverine just don't seem like the father type, ya know? Its strange looking at you and knowing that you is his boy. Also Gambit can't wait to hear you call him 'daddy'."

"Don't hold your breath, gumbo. I ain't callin' no one daddy anytime soon."

"What about mommy? Would you be calling the _chere_ that?"

"Rogue?" Dom sunk his ball into a pocket. "Are she and Wolverine married?"

"Not yet."

Logan stepped into the room. "Get outta here, Cajun. Me and the boy have got some talking to do."

Gambit held up his hands. "Of course. You owe Gambit another game, _mon ami_."

"And I'll kick your ass like this time. Eight ball side pocket," Dom said as the ball went into the designated pocket. "What do you need?"

Logan leaned against the pool table as his son stared at him. His son. Those words were so foreign to him. The boy did look a lot like him or did he look like his mother? How old was he?

"So kid… how do we do this whole father and son thing?"

Dom shrugged and hunched his shoulders as he lit a cigarette. He took a deep drag. "Wanna take me to a baseball game sometime?"

Logan chuckled. The kid had obviously gotten his dry sarcasm. "Nah, don't care for it much."

Dom shrugged and blew out a cloud of smoke. "I tried."

"Those things will kill ya."

"With regeneration as my mutation, not likely." He stared at Logan. "Besides, you're a fine one to talk about lung cancer."

"True."

"I just want you to know that I refuse to call you daddy or papa or pops or any other term like that."

Logan snorted. "I'd cut you if you did."

"And if you even think about calling me sonny or junior or some other precious nickname, I'll gut you."

"Deal. Is this how fathers and sons act?"

"Nope, but this is as close as we're gonna get right now."

"Listen kid… I never knew I had a family and… I'm sorry I wasn't there to keep them from doing this to you."

Dom shrugged. "No harm no foul, Logan. You didn't know. Hell, I could have wanted this to happen to me."

"Don't say that."

"Sorry."

"It's okay, kid."

Dom grinned. "Is it okay if I call Rogue, mommy?"

* * *

Xavier sat in Central park, letting the cool wind sooth him. He felt a presence and turned in his chair.

"Hello Eric."

"Charles," Eric replied in greeting and sat across from his old friend. A chess board was set up before them.

"Why her?"

"She's powerful. I hoped she could be persuaded to join our cause. I was wrong. Victor remembers him." Eric moved his pawn into play.

"Who?" Charles mirrored Eric's move.

"I believe they call him Dom."

"How does Sabretooth know him?"

"They have some sort of a past that my beastly friend is not ready to divulge."

Charles raised an eyebrow. "Oh."

"I couldn't help, but notice that adamantium courses through him." Eric watched Charles take his knight. "I also noticed his striking resemblance to your Wolverine."

"They are father and son."

"Are they? Hmm… Astonishing. A continuation of Weapon X perhaps?"

"Hopefully the end of it."

"Do you really believe that?" Eric asked as he took a bishop from play. "And the girl?"

"She is powerful… Extraordinarily so."

"You keep an eye on her Charles. I have a feeling that someone will want her services someday."

"I fear you may be right."  
"Checkmate Charles. Until another day?"

Xavier nodded and watched Eric walk away into the park, feeling that his friend knew more than he was letting on.

* * *

Rogue chewed on her popcorn thoughtfully as she watched the movie playing the rec room. She heard the distinctive sound of a bottle of beer being opened and Logan sat down next to her. He took a swig and glanced in her direction.

"Hey kid."

"Hey," she swallowed her mouthful of popcorn and offered him the bowl. "Popcorn?"

"Nah, kernels get stuck in my teeth."

Rogue fought the urge to giggle. The mighty Wolverine taken out by a kernel of popcorn.

"Isn't there a game on?" Logan asked, drinking his beer.

"Probably, but I wanted to see this movie."

"Oh."

Rogue tucked her legs underneath herself and covered up with the blanket she had. Logan watched her in amusement at her actions and rested his arm on the back of the couch.  
"Gonna share that blanket, kid?"

Rogue grumbled. "I just get comfy and you want to share a blanket."

She rested against his side and covered them both with the blanket. He put his arm around her and gave a sigh of contentment.

"So how does it feel to be a dad?"

Logan shrugged.

"Got any feelings on the subject?"

"He seems like a decent kid… A lot like me."

"I like Dom. He's nice."

Logan growled.

"Don't worry. I like you more," she teased and poked his side. "Besides I've known you longer. You have seniority."


	5. Movin On

**_Disclaimer: Blicky blew…I don't own any of the X-men (although I wish I had Wolverine or Gambit to cuddle with Gimme!) Marvel owns them… not me… sigh…. I do however own Dom and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire. I like to keep Dom tied to my bed… evil grin._**

**_Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy._**

_**Murphy's Romance is the movie I talk about later. It stars Sally Fields and James Garner and is one of the best romantic movies ever. If you get the chance watch it.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews and thanks to my steady readers! I was really nervous to post at first because I didn't know if anyone would read it or if anyone would like it. Thanks for all the support! Tell your friends!**_

_**LadyV77- No… I don't know a whole lot about S.H.I.E.L.D and Nick Fury. This is a different Fury, but thanks for pointing that out to me.**_

_**Bima- It just came to me that that is what it should be. I love me, too. LOL. Glad you like it.**_

_**Wolvieluvr- Thanks. Dom is actually physically based off a ex of mine. Drool…. He had a body to die for and the most gorgeous hair…. I might share Dom….. Maybe :winks:

* * *

**_

Dom sat down in the chair before the professor, a little nervous of having someone in his mind.

"Relax Dominic. You have nothing to be afraid of." Xavier wheeled close to the youth and placed his hand on Dom's forehead. "Just concentrate on me."

Dom closed his eyes and felt the tug as Xavier entered his mind and searched.

Xavier found himself in the Mojave Desert staring at a military base. Then he saw Dom, staggering away, his uniform torn and claws out. Dom fell to his knees and screamed.

"MOM!"

Suddenly he gave a grunt and fell over, unconscious. Xavier was thrust from Dom's mind.

Dom stared at him. "What did you see?"

"Somewhere in the Mojave… A military base. I think answers could be there."

* * *

A few days later Nicole poked at the food on her plate as she sat in the cafeteria. Jubilee was ranting on and on about something and all Nicole could think about was Dom. He hated her for not telling him. What could she tell him? All she saw were pictures and that woman. She hadn't seen Dom since his outburst and she had avoided everyone until now. 

"I can't believe Logan is Dom's dad." Kitty shoved a spoonful of jello into her mouth. "That is so, like, strange."

"They are?" Nicole asked.

Rogue nodded. "Yep."

Nicole's eyes widened. "How did Logan take it?"

"Surprisingly well."

Kitty nodded. "They've really, like, bonded."

"Yeah, they had a lovely father/son sparring match in the Danger Room last night. I've never seen so much gore." Jubilee made a face.

"Yeah… It was pretty extreme. Dom is certainly his father's son," Rogue commented.

"I noticed." Nicole poked her food again.

"Aren't you hungry?" a voice asked and she turned to see Dom. "Hey."

"Hi."

"Can I sit here?"

She nodded. "But aren't you mad at me?"

"No. Forgive me?"

She smiled. "What do I get out of it?"

"I promise to save your life sometime."

"Cheapskate. You could have at least promised me a dinner."

He shrugged. "Sorry. Listen, I just wanted to be the first to tell you that I'm leaving."

Her face fell. "Why?"

"I've got a lead on my past… and Stryker's people. I'm going to go check it out."

"You aren't even going to let the Professor help you?" Jubilee asked.

"He did. He searched my mind. I'm going on what he found."

"I could search deeper," Nicole offered.

"You aren't experienced enough. You can't make sense of what you see. I'll come back." Dom gave her a small smile. "Maybe when I come back you'll be able to help."

"Be careful." Kitty warned.

"I'm always careful. I'll be back before you guys know it."

Rogue gave him a smile. "And how does Logan feel about this?"

"I haven't told him yet."

"You'd best get to it. He'll want to know anything about his past."

"Thanks mom. I'm going to go and break it to him." Dom gave Rogue a smile. He winked at a worried Nicole. "I'll be back. I promise. Then I'll let you probe my mind all you like."

"I'll hold you to it."

"I figured that." He rose and left the cafeteria with Nicole watching him.

She turned back to Rogue. "Logan will want to go with him, you know."

"I know." Rogue sighed.

* * *

Logan threw his pack into the side compartment of his bike and turned to face Rogue. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest. 

"Don't be mad."

"I'm not mad. I'm scared. What if you find something you don't like?"

"Do you mean what if I find Dom's mother?"

Rogue looked away from his gaze. "What happens if you do?"

"Nothing, kid. I'm coming back for you."

Rogue stared at him with wide eyes. "You're coming back for me?"

"Of course. You're always the reason I come back here," Logan stated.

Rogue's jaw dropped. "Are you saying-"

"I'm saying that I care, kid, and that I won't leave you."

"Promise?"

Logan smiled and cupped her cheek in his hand. "I do.'

A loud cough interrupted them. They both turned to glare at Dom.

"What? Smoke went down the wrong hole." Dom tried to look innocent.

"Just because you ain't got anyone to say goodbye to does not mean you can interrupt ours," Rogue snapped.

"Sorry, mom."

"Stop calling her mom," Logan ordered.

Dom threw his hands up in mock defeat.

Logan turned back to Rogue and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her hard and tangled his fingers in her hair. She opened her mouth to his and let him possess her. After moment he pulled back and smiled.

"I'll be back."

"I know." She gave him her beautiful smile

Dom jump started his bike and watched Logan climb onto his own. "You know that no kid likes to watch their dad make out with their step mom."

"Shut the fuck up."

* * *

**Two and a half months later…**

**Mojave Desert**

"Nothing! There is nothing here!" Dom yelled as he kicked a rusted piece of metal. "All there is here is sand and god damned lizards!"  
"Calm down, kid. There used to be something here. At least we know that. We're a hell of a lot farther than I was when I started."

Dom stared off into the horizon and said, "All I found down there was an old unused lab. No one has been there for years, Logan."

"I know, kid." Logan headed for his bike. "Let's head back to the institute. Maybe Chuck can try again."

"No. I'm not going back."

Logan turned to stare at his son. "Why not?"

"I'm going to keep looking. I've come too far to quit now."

"We aren't quitting. We are going back to find out more."

"I'm not. I'm going to keep on searching."

"Do what you want, kid." Logan got on his bike. "Just know that you can always come back. You'll always have a home."

Dom grinned. "Are you getting mushy on me?"

"Shut the hell up. Take care of yourself."

Dom gave his dad a wry smile. "Tell mom I said hey."

"Shut the fuck up."

"Keep an eye on Nicole for me."

Logan nodded. "I intended in it. You aught to come back and keep an eye on her yourself."

"And let you miss out on all the fun?"

Logan snorted and started his bike. "Make sure you call… for Marie and Nicole's sake."

Dom rolled his eyes. "Get home to your woman."

Dom watched as his father drove off into the desert, wondering if he would really ever see him again. Charles Xavier had promised Dom a home and Dom knew he could always go back. Shaking his head he got onto his bike. Heading in the opposite direction, he searched.

* * *

Logan pulled into the school's drive and shut off his bike. Rogue came running from the house and leapt into his arms. 

"Logan!" She breathed in his scent. "You're back."

"I told you I would."

"Where is Dom?" she asked, looking around.

"He went on. He still had some searching to do."

"He didn't find his answers, I take?" Xavier asked from the doorway.

"Nah, Nevada was a dead end. He went on. I'm not sure where."

"I can use Cerebro to keep an eye on him for you, Logan." He rolled closer to the couple.

"I'd appreciate it." Logan looked at the lone figure in the doorway. "Nicole."

She stood, staring. "He's not coming back, is he?"

"He is darlin'. Just not yet."

She stared at Logan with her endless eyes. "He will come back, right?"

"I don't know kid."

Tears came to her eyes. "I just wanted him to come back."

Logan reached for the girl, and pulled her to his chest. "I'm sorry, kid."

Forgetting her skin, Logan brushed a tear from her cheek and gasped as she stole some of his energy. With amazing strength, she pushed him back. She had saw his thoughts.

She stared at him with accusing eyes. "You don't think he'll come back."

"Kid-" Logan reached for her again, but she evaded his touch and ran away. He turned back to Marie and Xavier. "I think she know more than what she's letting on about Dom."

"Not necessarily. She does know more, but she still can't control her powers very well. She can't make sense of the pictures she sees. I'm still curious as to why Eric was after her." Xavier pondered.

"She's powerful. Maybe he was planning another Liberty Island," Rogue offered.

"No… There must be something else. Logan, I want you to give her lessons in self defense. She needs a strong body as well as a strong mind." Xavier pondered. "I want her to be able to protect herself in every way necessary."

Logan nodded. "I agree. We'll start tomorrow."

* * *

Rogue sat on the couch in the rec room, watching a movie with Kitty, Nicole, and Jubilee. Every once in a while the movie was interrupted by the crack of two pool balls hitting one another as Piotr and Gambit played pool. 

"You aren't any challenge, Piotr," Gambit complained.

"If we were playing Hockey, I would win."

"Will you two shut up?" Jubilee snapped. "We are going to miss the best part!"

Kurt bamfed right next to Kitty's ear. "What are you watching?"

"Shhh!" all four girls hissed.

All three guys rolled their eyes as Logan sauntered into the room, looking for Rogue. "What-"

"Shhh!"

Logan raised an eyebrow and nudged Gambit. "What's going on, Cajun?"

"The best part of the movie, or so Remy hears."

"Aww!" all the girls cooed and Logan felt sick to his stomach.

"James Garner and Sally Fields's characters are so made for each other," Kitty gushed. "I love how she always tempts him with food."

"I like how he tells her to set his cake on fire… Murphy's Romance is the best movie ever."

Gambit made a gagging sound and Nicole turned around to slug him in the arm. "Just because you'd prefer porn doesn't mean you can ruin our fun."

"Porn has more of a plot and if this had been porn, then Murphy could have gotten some, Gambit thinks." Gambit leaned over the edge of the couch, his face inches from Nicole's.

"Back off Remy, unless you want to be in a coma for a week," she warned.

"Sounds like fun, _chere_." He leaned closer and caught her lips. Instantly, they felt the pull from her skin and she pushed him back.

"Remy!" She gasped as he stumbled.

"Damn, _chere_. You give one hell of a kiss."

Shaken, Nicole reached for her drink and as soon as she touched it, the cup began to blaze red.

"_Mon dui_!" Remy grabbed it and chucked it out the open window. "Fire in the hole!"

A small explosion shattered the lattice work out side. Nicole gasped and rose, trying not to touch anything.

"Damn it, swamp rat! You just had to kiss her!" Logan growled. "Are you okay Nicole?"

"I'm fine, Logan." Her voice was now edged with a Cajun drawl. "_Merde_, Remy! Why did you have to go and do that?"

He shrugged, weakly. "Temptation, _ma petite_."

"Temptation could get you killed, bub." Logan went to Nicole. "Calm down, kid. You'll be fine."

"I just don't want to touch anything. I'm afraid it will blow up."

"Maybe you should go see the Professor," Rogue offered. "All you can really do is just wait it out."

Rogue led Nicole from the room and Logan gave Gambit one last hard glare before they left to find the Professor.

Kurt nudged Gambit, "Was it worth it, my friend?"

Gambit grinned. "_Oui, mon ami_. She kisses like an angel."

"More like the Angel of Death, comrade," Piotr joked.

As Logan, Rogue, and Nicole made their way to the Professor's office, Nicole stopped them.

"I can make it the rest of the way. Thank you both. I feel so stupid."

"The swamp rat back there should be the one feeling stupid." Logan nodded his head back in the direction of the rec room. "You sure you're okay?"

She nodded. "Go on to bed. If all else fails, then I'll grab a deck of cards and blow some small craters in the yard out back."

"Are you sure, hon?" Rogue asked.

Nicole nodded. "Go to bed. The Professor knows I'm coming."

Logan nodded in agreement and led Rogue back down the hall. Rogue kept looking over her shoulder.

"Relax, darlin'. She's fine."

"I'm just worried about her Logan. She's just like I was and I don't want her hurt."

"You've gotten real motherly over her."

Rogue wrinkled her nose. "Have I?"

"Yeah… I like it."

"Well, you've gotten real fatherly."

"To her or Dom?"

"Her mostly, but Dom too. I like it."

Logan stopped her and ran his thumb down her cheek. "Marie…"

She leaned up and pressed her lips against his. Wrapping his arms around her, he deepened the kiss. After a moment, she broke the kiss.

"Logan, maybe we should move this to our room."

Logan grinned and scooped her into his arms.

* * *

Logan crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Nicole in a battle simulation in the Danger Room. He had been working with her for over a week and she was already a Level Five. Pretty impressive. She was gaining more control over her powers every day. From spending time with her and from what Chuck had told him, Logan had learned more and more about her past. 

Nicole had been dumped off with her dad at birth by a crack addicted mother. Her father was a mutant with a rap sheet as long as Logan's arm, at least until he used his powers to knock over a liquor store and wound up dead. So from then on Nicole was a ward of the state, until two years ago when her powers started to manifest. She put one of the orphanage nurses in the hospital and has been on the run ever since. The more he was around her the more he felt like a surrogate father to her.

Logan pushed a few buttons and shut down the simulation. Nicole emerged, smiling. "Good job, kid."

"Thanks Logan." She tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear. "I've got to get to my physics class, okay?"

"No problem kid. Listen, have you still been having bad dreams?"

She looked down at her gloved hands. "Sometimes."

"Hmph. You need to tell Chuck."

"I have. Mostly I dream as if I was Dom. During the operation. He was in so much pain."

"I know it must be tough having so many people inside your head."

"You have no idea. You and Dom are the worst. Always fighting over what I should do. Sometimes I just want to tell you both to shut the fuck up and Remy he just sits there and laughs at you two and tells me to go get laid."

Logan erupted with laughter. "You are something else, kid."

* * *

**Seventeen months later**

**Mexico**

Dom sat in a small cantina just south of the border. He watched the Mexican whores try to entice the men who were willing to buy them beers. He took a drag off his cigarette and a sip of his beer. He had been searching ever since he and Logan had parted ways almost a year and a half ago. All he had found was a dead end on some scientist in Guadalajara. He called back to the Mansion every once in a while, but only out of necessity. A whore came to his arm.

"_Bonas Dias, senor_. Looking for some company?" she asked and batted her heavily, made up eyes.

"No."

"Want to buy a girl a drink?"  
"Are you even old enough to drink?"

She chuckled. "In Mexico, there are no rules, _senor_…"

Her hand went to his thigh and squeezed. "Oh?"

"Especially for a handsome looking _hombre_ like you. Are you sure you wouldn't like some company?"

"How much will it cost me?" Dom suddenly felt intrigued staring at her dark hair. It was so familiar.

"How much you got?"

"Enough… Come on." He finished his beer and threw some money on the bar. He led the young whore back to his hotel room and put fifty bucks on the table. She picked it up and smiled.

"Enough?" he asked.

"_Si_." She unbuckled his belt and kissed him, her tongue snaking across his lips.

It was hard and fast and most of all; simple. Dom liked to keep things simple. Not complicated like his emotions over a certain blue eyed telekinetic in Massachusetts. His thoughts drifted to her and he speculated on how much the whore's hair looked like Nicole's. He grimaced. He was comparing Nicole to some whore he had just fucked in Mexico. He was comparing this whore to a girl, whose beautiful skin could kill with a touch and whose mind controlled that skin that would suck him dry. Possibly in more ways than one.

Dom cursed himself for thinking such thoughts. Nicole was fifteen, a kid. He almost laughed. Logan had felt the same about Rogue. Like father like son. Maybe cradle robbing was in his genes. The whore shifted in the bed and sat up. She pulled back on her dress and grabbed the money. As he shut his eyes he heard the click of a blade being opened and felt it against his neck.

"Give me all the money in your wallet, _senor_, or I'll slice your neck open."

"No."

"Do it!" she hissed and pressed the blade harder until a thin red line of blood appeared.

Dom sat up quickly and grabbed her wrists, the blade slicing a small gash in his neck in the process. He held her wrists and glared at her. Her eyes widened as the cut healed.

"Mio Dios…" she whispered and tried to make the sign of the cross.

"Get the hell out of my room or I'll do some cutting of my own," he threatened.

He shoved her back and she scrambled to grab her knife. She held it out in front of her.

"What the hell are you?" she whispered.

"Get out of here." Dom turned to pick his shirt up from the floor. "Take your cash and go."

She gave a scream and attacked him. Dom spun around and her knife sunk into his left eye. He howled in pain and grabbed the handle of the knife. He wretched it from his eye and blood poured out. He glared at her with his good eye.

"Get out of here, bitch or I'll return the favor." He could feel the wound slowly closing and the blood flow stopping. She raced out the door and into the night. Dom cursed and tied a bandana around his head, covering his mutilated eye. He knew he'd better get moving. That whore was probably telling everyone about the demon she stabbed. He packed his bag and went out to his bike. Starting it, he roared off into the night.

A few miles down the road he caught sight of a woman sitting beside a broken down van. He pulled over and the leggy blonde came to him.

"Need some help?" he asked.

"Yeah, my van's radiator hose busted. Name's Annie."

"I can give you a ride."

"Great," she climbed onto the bike behind him. "Can you see with only one eye?"

"Do you want a ride or not?"

"Most definitely," Annie gripped a handful of his hair and bent him down over the handle bars of the bike. Using a syringe, she injected a small vile of silver liquid into the back of his neck. He relaxed under her touch.

"Good pet. Drive."

Dom sat up, his good eye blazing silver and gunned the bike.


	6. Primal

**_Disclaimer: Snore…. I don't own any of the X-men (although I do wish Wolverine or Gambit would show up on my doorstep… Gimme!) Marvel owns them. SIGH! I do however own Dom (SCORE!) and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire._**

_**Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.**_

_**Yea! I got reviews. Does happy dance! Thanks to all who are reading my story! I never thought it would go over so well!**_

_**Starbaby-210: Mwaahahahah! I like the twitches. Glad you are keeping up. Piotr is Colossus. Big shiny, metal dude. HOT in the movie!**_

_**Wolivieluvr: Glad you are enjoying it. More Juiciness to come, I promise. I think you'll like this chapter because of it's juiciness.**_

_**Bima: I dunno…. Guess you'll just have to keep reading… As much as it would be nice for the xmen to save him, I'm pretty sure Dom can save himself… Given his paternity and all.

* * *

**_

**Four years later…**

Logan pulled at the collar of the dark blue button down shirt Rogue had made him wear. The normally cool auditorium was stuffy with the large amount of people packed into every corner. Rogue held his free hand in hers and gave him a smile.

"I'm so excited!" she whispered.

"Me too, darlin'. I wish these damn speeches were over."

Xavier wheeled out onto the stage and smiled at the audience. "Thank you, James, for that brilliant speech. Without further adieu, I'll begin the presentation of diplomas."

Marie's hand tightened on Logan's as the Professor began to call off names. After a moment of watching the students file across the stage, she gave him a huge smile, and pointed towards the stage.

"There she is!"

"Nicole Tru Logan," Xavier called and Logan felt a swell of pride as he watched the young woman cross the stage.

Nicole looked beautiful in her pristine silver robe. She had taken his name as her last name and asked Rogue and him to act as her parents for the ceremony. He had grown close to the young girl. He had taught her to defend herself, drive a car, and fix a flat tire and all in the same week. Logan felt almost like a father to her and he knew Rogue was the closest thing to a mother that Nicole had ever had. He clapped loudly and rose to his feet.

"Logan," Rogue giggled. "Sit down!"

He sat down, but continued to clap for the blushing girl on stage.

"Nicole Logan has graduated full honors. Congratulations Nicole."

Nicole took her degree from Xavier and hugged him. _Thank you, Professor. Thank you so much._

_It was my pleasure, Nicole. Welcome to the X-Men, Mindfire. _The Professor had used the code name she chose for herself.

Nicole walked off the stage and back to her seat. She saw Logan smiling at her with Rogue and she gave them a wave. They were the closest thing she had to parents and they were here for her on her special day. She caught a tug in her mind and she glanced towards the back of the auditorium. She thought he saw someone in the shadows, but there was no one there. Her brow furrowed in confusion, but she gave up and looked back to the front as another speech started.

From the back, the figure watched, smoking a cigarette.

* * *

After the ceremony, Nicole went to the rec room for the party the Professor was throwing for all the students and their families. She raced into Logan's arms and he twirled her around.

"You did it, kid. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Logan. Thank you for being here for me today. Both of you." Nicole hugged Rogue.

"Mon diu! Look at _ma petite_! She's all grown up, no?" Gambit wrapped his arms around Nicole's middle and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Gambit's starting to seriously consider this cradle robbing, _chere_."

Nicole batted his hands away. "I'm not that much younger than you, Remy."

"You touch her like what you're thinking and I'll cut you open, gumbo," Logan growled.

"Logan!" Rogue chastised. "He's only teasing."

"Yeah, keep that up and I won't have a date for the End of the Year Ball, 'dad'," Nicole teased and poked Logan's stomach.

Logan made a face. "You're actually going to that?"

"Yes, I am. Why?"

"Cause now I'll have to neuter every male in Westchester County and get a tux to chaperone."

"In your wildest dreams," Rogue snorted. "I won't let you. At least not the neutering part. The tux thing we can discuss."

"So the son was a no show, _mon ami_?" Gambit asked.

Logan grunted in response. "I haven't heard from the kid in six months. To tell you the truth, I'm worried about him. He's too much like me."

"I'm sure he's fine, _mon ami_. Like you say, he's like you and Gambit thinks that would be enough to survive on. C'mon, _chere_, Gambit wants a dance."

Rogue watched Gambit drag Nicole away. "You need to be nicer to him, Logan."

"Why?"

"He and Nicole are dating."

"Not exclusively. I just don't want her to get dumped off when he finds a girl he can actually fuck."

"Logan…"

"I know, I know." He let her take his hand and kiss the knuckles. "I suppose you want a dance too?"

Nicole let Gambit drag her to the dance floor and they danced to a slow song. She let her fingers wonder to the back of his neck as she drifted in thought.

"Penny for your thoughts, _chere_."

She shook her head to clear it. "Sorry Remy. I was just searching."

"For what?"

"Dom, I guess. I wonder if he ever found what he was looking for."

"Who knows, _chere_. He was too much like the Wolverine for Gambit to understand. Played one mean game of pool though."

Nicole chuckled and Gambit felt the waves of her mind hit him like ripples in water. He had forgotten how powerful she was.

"_Mon dui_. I could feel that one."

"What?"

"Your powers, _ma petite_."

"Oh, sorry Remy."

"You're fine, _chere_. I just forget how powerful you are. You are such a tiny thing."

She grinned, wickedly. "Need I conjure up the image of me laying you out in the Danger Room last week?"

"No, Gambit is good. How does it feel to be a full member, Mindfire?" He used her codename, teasingly.

"I'm excited, but scared at the same time. I'm nervous about going on missions."

"Relax. You'll do fine. Sorry to cut our dance short, _chere_, but Gambit has got some poker to play. Piotr swears he could beat Gambit and Gambit has got to prove him wrong."

"Aww, no love for me?" she teased.

"Not when the Wolverine thinks you are his daughter," he chuckled and laid a kiss on her gloved hand. "Later, _ma chere_."

She watched him walk away and smiled. She glanced back towards Logan and Rogue and saw they were talking in hushed tones with Xavier. She used her mind and tried to read Logan's. He felt her and glared.

"Get over here kid, if you want to listen."

Nicole obeyed and went to them. "What's going on?"

"Don't you sense it?" Xavier asked.

"The strange mutant? Yeah, I just figured it was someone's family. Why?"

"I sense it's something more than that. I-"

They heard the rumble of a motorcycle and Nicole's face lit up. "Dom."

They watched her race for the front door. Logan nudged Rogue.

"You used to act all stupid like that for me too."

She punched his arm and followed Nicole. Nicole threw the doors open and collided with a wide chest. She peered up and gasped.

"Dom?"

Dom peered down at the woman before him with his good eye. He dropped the bag from his arm and smiled.

"Hello, Nicole."

"You remember me?"

"Not really. I was just making a wild guess, but score one for Dom." He grinned. "Of course I remember you."

She stared at him. He had an eye patch over his left eye and his hair was wild from the bike ride. She touched the side of his face with her gloved palm.

"Your eye-"

"It's growing back. You've grown up, Nicole."

"I graduated today-"

"With honors. I saw the ceremony."

"You were there?"

"In the back."

"Welcome back, Dom." Rogue leaned in the doorway.

"Thank mom. Where's my ferocious father?"

Logan came to stand next to Rogue. "What the hell happened to your eye?"

"I was stabbed. Organs take a bit longer to grow back apparently."

"C'mon inside. We're having a party to celebrate graduation," Nicole said, taking his arm and dragging him inside. Xavier wheeled up to them.

"Welcome back, Dominic. How did your search fare?"

"I didn't find much. I came back hoping for help."

"You'll always find it here. For now just enjoy yourself. We can discuss reading your mind later."

Dom nodded and smiled at Nicole. "Boy, you grew up fast, doll."

"You look the same."

He shrugged. "Is there any beer around here?"

"This is a school."

"Oh, yeah." Dom spied Gambit playing poker and nodded his head in that direction. "I'm going to join Cajun for a game. Catch ya later, kid?"

Nicole nodded and watched him walk away. Nicole concentrated and tried to spy into Don't mind. He felt her tug and she felt as if she hit a brick wall.

_Stay outta there, kid._

_Why? Do you think I'll be scared of what I see?_

_No. **I'm** afraid of what you might see._

Nicole backed away from him, mentally and whispered, "What happened to you, Dom?"

* * *

Jean walked with Xavier after the party down the quiet halls. "Did you sense the mutant earlier?"  
"Yes, I did Jean. I thought it was an unknown, but apparently it was Dom returning home."

"I'm not so sure about that, Professor."

"Neither am I."

"Dom seemed strange. His eye…"

"Yes, perhaps he'll let me read his mind and we'll discover why he seems so different."

"I hope so."

Dom hid in the shadows as Xavier and Jean passed by him. He stared at them, his gaze unwavering. When they had turned a corner and disappeared, he emerged from his hiding spot. He exited the school and went to the garden.

"Astral…" he hissed pushing branches from his way.

A form blurred by his face and his hand shot out to catch the beautiful blonde woman. She smiled.

"You always were fast enough to catch me. How did it go?"

Dom shrugged. "Good. I think they know you are skulking around. You might want to make yourself scarce."

She trailed her nails up his chest. "All this coming from my big, bad protector? My bad, bad killer?"

He took her hands and pulled them away. "Don't touch me."

"You know you love it. I know you love it." Her hand brushed over the crotch of his pants. "Remember why you are here."

"I remember."

"Then don't fight me." She pressed herself against him and crushed her mouth against his. Her tongue swirled in his mouth and her fingers dug into his scalp. With a growl, he pushed her back violently.

"Back off, you blurry bitch!" he growled.

"You aren't the one giving orders around here, Fury."

"Don't call me that."

Astral projected herself and grabbed a handful of his hair. She brought him down to his knees and produced an eyedropper. She dropped a small amount of the clear liquid on the back of his neck and it landed with a hiss. Waiting for the serum to take effect she stroked his scalp like she would a dog.

"It worked on your mother just as well."

Letting him go, she stepped back to watch him rise. He looked at her and she saw his good eye had turned silver.

"Good pet. Go back to them and pretend nothing is wrong."

He nodded and headed back to the mansion. She smiled in the darkness.

* * *

"Alright kids this is Danger Room: Level Ten. We're not playing around anymore," Logan spoke into the microphone from the observation deck. "Begin simulation."

Nicole braced herself for whatever the computer was going to pit her against. She looked over to Gambit, who was absently twirling a card between his fingers.

"Ready _chere_?"

"As I'll ever be."

A lone figure stepped from the darkness. There was the distinct sound of metal sliding against metal and the figure stepped into the light.

"Dom?" Nicole relaxed. "What are you doing here?"

His face contorted in rage and he howled. He leapt for her and she dodged his attack. He rolled and prepared to attack again. Gambit cursed and threw a charged card at Dom. The explosion knocked Dom off his feet. When he stood back up, Gambit saw a gaping hole in his head and wires sticking out.

"It's only a robot!" Nicole gasped. She used her powers to throw the robot against the wall, smashing it. "That was not funny, Logan!"

"I didn't mean it to be. There is always the real chance that you'd have to attack a friend. Eyes left, Mindfire." Logan sat back and watched.

A metal arm slammed into her left side and she fell to the floor. Using her mind, she deflected the blows of the arms, until she was able to get to her feet. Gambit threw a blaze of charged cards at the arms attempting to disarm them. One knocked him across the room and Nicole ran to him. She took off her glove and absorbed some of his power.

"Nicole… Be careful," Gambit said, weakly.

She nodded and grabbed the arms that came towards her. They glowed a bright red and exploded before her. She used her powers to levitate and she grabbed anything that came her way. Gambit rose a bit shakily and began to use his staff to destroy anything in his path.

"Level Ten completed. Congrats kids." Logan turned off the computers and Nicole and Remy made their way out of the Danger Room.

"Your touch always brings me to my knees, _chere_," Gambit teased.

"As I recall you have quite a reputation for being good on your knees." Nicole gave him a sultry look.

"You tease," he accused and tried to pull her into his arms.

"Now remember what happened last time we tried this." She gave him a small push. "You ended up in the med lab for a week."

"I'll put him in there for even longer if he keeps staring at you like that." Logan stood in the doorway. "I've got to meet Marie for lunch. You two keep your hands off each other."

He left and Gambit chuckled. "I don't think the Wolverine trusts us together, _chere_."

"C'mon, you little swamp rat. I told the Professor I'd come up for another one of my lessons." Nicole hastily pulled back on her gloves.

Gambit took her hand and pulled her back to him. "Listen, _chere_. You aren't happy with Gambit are you?"

"What do you mean?"

Gambit threaded his fingers in her hair. "You like the Wolverine's son?"

"Dom is my friend, Remy. That's all-"

"No, _chere_. He means more to you than just a friend. Gambit knows these things."

"Remy…"

"He does. Gambit can tell. You act like the Rogue whenever she looks at the Wolverine. Tell him how you feel."

"Remy. I was a stupid fifteen year old girl when I met him. I'm almost nineteen now and still as stupid."

"Just try. There is no harm in trying. If not, Gambit will be here to pick up the pieces." He grinned.

She glared at him. "All this time you romanced me, knowing about Dom?"

"_Oui_. Gambit promised Logan that he wouldn't let his little girl be lonely forever. He half suspected me to dump you for the first girl to come alone. Gambit thinks he didn't want you to fall for someone like him." Gambit reached over and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Too bad you already did, _la_ _petite_ _femme_."

"Oh, Remy. Why did you go along with Logan?"

Remy shrugged. "Might have been his threat to filet Gambit if he didn't. Plus you're cute and you kiss like an angel."

Nicole laughed and took his hand. "C'mon you."

* * *

Rogue sat on a bench as she watched Logan teach a self defense class. She laughed as a student tried to topple him and the kid landed hard on the mat. Nicole came and sat next to Rogue.

"Hey, Nicole. I haven't seen you since yesterday. Where have you been?" Rogue asked.

"In my room… Contemplating. Remy and I broke up."

"Oh, honey. I'm so sorry." Rogue took her hand and squeezed.

"I'm okay. Remy told me it was Logan's idea for us to date. Apparently he didn't want me dating someone like him."

Rogue's expression darkened. "I should have known that Logan would do something like that."

"What? Was he afraid his son would romance you?" Dom interrupted their talk. "Hey, mom."

"You're another one I haven't seen much of. Where have you been hiding?"

"Out and about." Dom watched his father. "He's very ruthless with those kids isn't he?"

"He needs to be so that they will learn." Nicole turned to gaze at him. "You never told me what happened to your eye."

"I got stabbed in a bar in Mexico."

"By a jealous husband?"

"No. A crazy whore." Dom watched his father teach. "So I hear you took my father's name as your last."

"It only seemed right. He and Rogue have been like parents to me."

Dom nodded. "I hear you. Hasn't he married you yet, mom?"

Rogue chuckled. "Logan isn't the proposing type."

"Yeah, if the idea of marriage ever came into his head, he'd just whisk you off to a judge and onto Canada," Nicole teased.

"I can see that. What about you Dom? Has any barfly won your heart?"

Dom chuckled. "Hardly. Handsome as I am, not many are willing to screw a guy with an eye patch."

"Aww, I think it makes you look rugged." Nicole nudged him. "Very sexy."

"What would you know about sexy, kid? You're like… fifteen."

"I'm almost nineteen," Nicole hissed.

"Like I said. Still a kid."

Nicole was suddenly angry and she pulled off her gloved and held out her hand. "I'll show you a kid!"

"Nicole!" Logan barked. "Put the glove back on! You don't need any more of him in your head."

Nicole snarled and stalked back into the house. Dom turned and followed her.

"Leave me alone!" she ordered as he followed her.

"Nicole, listen to me."

"Back off!"

"Nicole!" He grabbed her cloth covered arm and her eyes blazed.

"Let me go, Dom."

With a growl he pressed her against the wall and kissed her, hard. Unconsciously she opened her mouth and even as she felt herself draining him she gripped his hair in her hands. She pushed him back and he stumbled.

"Damn," he muttered.

She touched her lips and stared at him. Strangely, she had only gotten memories of a desert laboratory and Stryker's face.

"What are you doing, Dom?"

"Trying not to hurt you," he whispered.

Remy came around the corner and raised an eyebrow. "Any problems, _chere_?"

"No," Dom growled and went back outside.

Nicole looked over at the grinning Remy, who crossed his arms over his chest. "Must you look at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"The 'I told you so' look."

"Sorry, but I did, _chere_."

"Don't remind me."

* * *

Rogue curled up to Logan in bed that night. She absently tapped her fingers across his chest.

"That tickles, darlin'," he grunted and grabbed her hand. He brought it to his lips and kiss. "What's wrong, Marie?"

"I'm just worried about Nicole. Remy broke up with her today."

"What?" Logan growled. "That little double crosser-"

Rogue glared at him. "You did make him go out with her! Logan!"

"What? He liked her anyway and I… I just didn't want her falling for… somebody else."

"Like Dom?" Rogue sat up, wrapping the sheet around her nude body.

"Yeah… I just … I know what he's like. He's just like me… and I put you through so much pain and I didn't want it to happen again," Logan confessed.

"Logan, she cares for Dom. He was the first mutant she ever absorbed and he saved her life. Come what may, let it happen," Rogue put her hand on his face. "Besides, if he does hurt her you can slice him and he eventually heal."

"True, darlin'. Do you trust him?"

Rogue shrugged, and twirled a platinum lock in her fingers. "I dunno. He's distant. Even more so than you."

"He's changed over these years. I feel like something is wrong."

"Talk to him."

Logan grunted and pulled Marie back into his arms. "Maybe, but all I want to do right now is love you."

"Ooh, is that mushiness coming from the Wolverine?" Rogue teased.

Logan flipped them over and kissed her hard and Marie stopped teasing him… Verbally at least.

* * *

Nicole held the long, shimmering white dress against herself as she stood before the mirror in the room she shared with Kitty. It was a strapless, one she normally could not wear, but she wanted to. Thanks to the Professor she could.

"So who are you going to go with to the ball?" Kitty asked. "Since you talked Remy into taking Jubilee?"

Nicole shrugged. "I figured I'd go stag."

"Why don't you get Dom to take you?"

Nicole rolled her eyes as he hung her dress back up. "Why is everyone obsessed with the idea of me and him?"

"You two are too cute together. Kinda like Rogue and Logan."

"Dom isn't a dating type of guy," She shimmied out of her jeans and looked around for her PJ bottoms.

"No, but he is a 'do-able' type of guy," Kitty giggled.

"Not for me, remember? Even if he could get it in me, he'd be in a coma for a year."

Kitty laughed, "Talk about an orgasm to die for!"

Nicole blushed. "Kitty!"

"I'm just teasing." Her gazed drifted to the open balcony window. "Wouldn't it be romantic if Dom climbed through you our window to sweep you away in his arms?"

"While reciting poetry, right? That's a fat chance."

"Oh, Nicole you have eyes like an endless river and your touch…" Kitty dramatized.

"Kills me?" Nicole giggled and both girls erupted in laughter until they heard a noise at their window. Both looked at each other frightened and Nicole peeled off her gloves. She advanced towards the window and balcony with Kitty right behind her.

A figure pulled themselves over the railing and landed with a thud on their balcony. The figure parted the curtains and growled.

"Damn, wrong window."

"Dom?" Nicole breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared us to death! What are you doing?"

"Snuck out to go drinking. Sorry, I thought this was my room."

"One more up," Kitty offered.

"Thanks, Kit-Kat," he looked at Nicole's bare legs. "Nice set of legs you got there, doll."

Nicole blushed, realizing she had been standing there in just a sweater. She grabbed her PJ bottoms and pulled them on. "You should probably go."

He nodded and headed for her door. He stopped by her mirror and fingered the dress. "What's this for?"

"End of the Year Ball," Kitty broke in. "Since her and Gambit broke up, she doesn't have a date. Wanna take her?"

"Kitty!" Nicole hissed at her friend's grinning face.

"Sure."

"What?" Nicole and Kitty asked in unison.

"Sure." He smiled. "That is if you want to go with me?"

Nicole nodded, numbly. "Uh, sure…"

"Meet you here tomorrow… at six?"

She nodded.

He left their room and it was silent until Kitty let out a scream.

"OH MY GOD! He's going to take you!" Kitty jumped up and down on her bed, hysterically. "This is great, no scratch that, fantastic!"

Nicole stared at the door. Dom had agreed to take her to the dance. The Wolverine reincarnate was taking her to a dance.

"I need to go and talk to him," she opened the door and ran down the hall and up the stairs. He got to his door and found him waiting.

"You make a lot of noise, doll. What do you want?"

"You don't have to take me."

"Do you not want me to?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No, not that. I mean if you don't want to go."

"I want to go. I want to take you."

"Oh… Sorry…"

"Wanna come in for a bit, kid?"

She smiled. "Haven't you noticed I'm not a kid?"

He let his gaze travel down her body. "Yeah, you are definitely not a kid."

He opened his door and she followed him inside. She sat on his bed and watched him peel off the white t-shirt he wore.

"How's the eye?" she asked and watched as he took of the eye patch. His eye had grown back and was only slightly bloodshot.

"It's good."

"Looks good." She mentally smacked herself for that one.

"I think I can stop wearing the patch now. I like it though. Chicks dig it." He tossed it on the floor and grabbed a toothpick from his nightstand and began to chew it.

"What's with the toothpicks?" she asked.

"Trying to quit smoking."

"Oh," she watched him roll the toothpick around with his tongue.

"What?" he asked, noticing her staring.

"I just can't help, but wish that I was that toothpick," she drawled and clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry! I absorbed Remy a while back and he pops out like that every one in a while."

Dom smirked. "I kinda wish you were the toothpick, doll."

She blushed. "Dom…"

"I'm just teasing." He sank down onto the mattress and began to unlace his boots. "How've you been?"

She shrugged. "Good. I've been trying to manage my powers. I can actually make sense of the memories I absorb now."

"Can ya."

"I could try to, you know, read your mind again, if you wanted. You did promise that you'd let me probe your mind all I wanted."

"I remember. Do you really want to see inside my head?"

"I just want to help you."

"I don't think there is any help for me," he said as he rose and crossed the room.

"I didn't think so either, but the Professor has helped me. Everyday, he says I get closer and closer to touching."

"But you aren't me, doll. Sometimes it feels like there is this animal inside of me that is straining the get out and hurt something. I have too much of my father in me… and yet not enough of him to control it. I'm too animal."

"You are human, Dominic and don't you forget that." Nicole put her gloved hand to his face. "If I've learned one thing from Xavier it is that we are all human, no matter what our mutation is."

"You have so much faith. Will you have that faith when this world crumbles?"

She shrugged. "I hope to."

"Even when there are people like Stryker?" he whispered.

Nicole nodded. "People like him are the ones I pity the most."

Dom stared at her and she shrugged.

"Kurt and I talked a lot after I first got here. He has amazing views."

"I see. Why don't you got to bed and let this animal get some sleep."

She nodded and asked, "Do you still have your nightmares?"

"Yeah."

"I do too."

* * *

Logan sought out his son the next day. Striding into the garage, he found Scott and Dom working on Dom's bike. They both looked up from what they were doing when Logan arrived. He chewed on the end of his cigar.

"Yes?" Dom asked.

"I hear you're taking Nicole to that dance."

"So?" Dom began ratcheting something on his bike's engine.

Logan growled at his son's attitude. "You hurt her and I'll gut you, son or not."

Dom raised an eyebrow. "Showing favoritism, dad?"

"No. I just know how you are, because you're just like me."

Scott gave a snort, and tried to cover it with a sneeze, unsuccessfully.

"What are you laughing about, One Eye?" Logan snarled.

Scott shook his head. "Nothing, Logan. I'll just leave you two to, uh, father and son time."

He rose and left the garage and immediately started to laugh. Dom smirked and peered over the seat towards his father.

"Wanna hand me that spark plug?"

Logan grunted and handed Dom the requested part. Dom messed with it and stared his father down.

"Why did you really come down here?"

"What happened to you, kid?" Logan asked. "You seem different."

Dom shrugged. "People change."

Logan snorted. "Cut the shit. What happened?"

Dom glared at Logan. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I didn't find anything so I resorted to fucking whores in Mexico that in one way or another resembled Nicole. Why? Because I think I might be in love with her. Oh, yeah and one stabbed me in the eye."

"You love Nicole?"

Dom shrugged. "Maybe. So what if I do. Would she want a man who can't even remember his own last name?"

"Let Chuck read your mind again. He might-"

"No," Dom barked. "No more mind games. I don't want to know what I was. I'm more concerned with what I am becoming. Now if you'll fuck off. I've got a bike to fix."

"I'm just worried about you, kid."

"Well worry about someone else! I took care of myself before I met you and I can do it now! I never asked for a dad."

"I never asked for a son."

Dom smirked. "Obviously you got some enjoyment out of my creation."

Logan released his claws. "If you want to duke this out, then let's go for it."

Dom rose and released his own claws. "I've been looking for a sacrifice."

Logan retracted his claws, lunged at Dom, and tools went clattering to the floor. They rolled on the pavement until Logan ended up on top and was punching Dom's face. Dom howled in outrage and kicked his father off of him and into the wall of tools. Dom sliced at him and cut two lines across Logan's abdomen. Logan watched the cuts heal and let out his own claws. He slashed three lines across his son's face and Dom turned to stare at his dad. Logan gasped.

Dom's lip hung halfway severed and his nostril was cut open. The cuts slowly stitched themselves back together and Dom tackled him. They were on the ground, slicing and hitting whatever they could when they were suddenly blasted with a red optic ray. Scott stood at the door with Rogue. Logan and Dom went to attack each other and were stopped by Jean.

"Logan! Dom! What has gotten into you?" Rogue asked.

Dom spit out a mouth full of blood and started to laugh. "For an old man, you fight pretty good."

"For a green kid, you fight pretty good, too."

Rogue's gaze shot daggers at them. "You are both lucky you heal fast, because there is no way I would let you escort Nicole and I to that dance cut apart and bruised."

"What happened?" Scott asked.

Dom chuckled. "I got smart with him and he felt the need to punish me. Since I'm a little big to take his belt to, he decided to kick my ass. I think I was winning."

"In your dreams, kid. One more slice and I'd had you crying."

"Of all the people in the world, you would be the last to make me cry, Logan."


	7. Behind Blue Eyes

**_Disclaimer: Snort… I don't own any of the X-men. Marvel owns them.(Someday… they will be mine!) I do however own Dom (SCORE!) and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire._**

_**Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.**_

**_I am so sorry it took so long to load a new chapter. I've been seeing this new guy… and moving top a friend's part time and…. Ya know how that goes… You get distracted._**

**_Thanks for all the reviews. I was nervous about the fight scene between Dom and Logan cuz I don't think I write very good fight scenes. Yet, you all liked it so rock on! Thanks for reading!_**

_**The song in this chapter that I used for the title is "Behind Blue Eyes" by and Limp Biscut. I think it was originally sung by The Who, but I'm not sure so don't quote me on it.**_

_**Greenleaf- welcome to the flock! Glad you're reading!**_

_**Bima- ask and you shall receive.**_

**_Wolvieluvr- glad you like the orgasm line. It just came to me. I was worried about the fight scene, but I'm glad you liked it._**

_**Starbaby-210- U still reading chick?**_

_**Mm4ever2gether- thank for joining up? Who is Chloe?

* * *

**_

Rogue smoothed her black dress as she waited for the curling iron to heat up. Leaning close to the mirror on her vanity, Rogue began to apply mascara. Nicole sat on the bed, cross-legged, and watched. Nicole tugged on the sleeve of her sweater, nervously.

"So, how did you talk Logan into this?" Nicole asked.

"I simply explained that the young girl he considers a daughter is going to be there and so is every hormonal male at this school and that his son is taking her."

Nicole laughed. "I bet he loved that."

"You should have seen how fast he hopped onto his bike and headed for the tux shop."

Nicole peeled off her gloves to study her manicured nails. Jean had done them earlier in the day, using gloves of course.

"So… How are the lessons with the Professor going?" Rogue asked, nonchalantly.

"Good… Why?" Nicole seemed suspicious.

"Just something I overheard."

"Did he tell you! I wanted to surprise you and Logan!" Nicole sighed. "You didn't tell him did you?"

Rogue laughed. "No, I didn't say anything to Logan. Xavier didn't tell me as much as I 'accidentally' heard him and Jean discussing it. I was surprised."

"You cheat!"

"Sorry, sugar! You can still surprise Logan."

"I really want to surprise Dom."

"I'm sure he'll be bowled over. Just make sure he doesn't talk you into doing anything stupid."

"What? Like having sex? My control isn't that advanced. Trust me we'll be good."

Rogue grinned. "I know you will. Logan is the one worrying. This will be a treat to see the two of them dressed up, won't it? Now put on your dress so I can do your hair."

Nicole complied and Rogue stood behind the girl to curl her hair. Nicole watched, Rogue sweep her hair up and curl it.

"I heard about Logan and Dom's fist fight."

Rogue winced. "Yeah… That was an experience. I was hoping you wouldn't hear about it."

"Were they fighting about me?"

"Some. Logan and Dom are like fire and gasoline."

"Yeah, mix it together and you get explosions."

* * *

"I'm not wearing that!" Dom exploded.

"You have to, _mon_ _ami_. It's a formal dance. _La petite_ won't be happy if you show up in a t-shirt and jeans," Remy reasoned.

"It's a purple tuxedo."

"It's all I could find on such short notice," Hank said. "The mansion isn't a tuxedo shop."

"No, I'd rather go naked."

"As much as the girls would like that, I think you need to be dressed, comrade." Piotr smirked.

"Not in that," Dom chewed on his toothpick.

"How about a stylish tweed suit?" Hank offered.

"That's it. I'm going naked."

Kurt bamfed into the room. "Hope is not lost! I found this!"

He held out a black dress shirt and black pair of pants to Dom.

"It was in Scott's closet. He said you could borrow it and these pants."

"He needs a tie," Hank mused.

"A coat would be the best," Remy offered.

"Will you all stop trying to dress me? What is your deal?"

Remy grinned. "You need to impress your papa. He looks at Nicole like she is his daughter and doesn't know that you are taking her. We want you to make a good impression."

Dom groaned. "Give me the clothes, fuzzball."

* * *

Nicole waited nervously in her room with Kitty and Jubilee. They had all finished getting dressed and now were waiting on their dates. She glanced at the clock.

"Men. They are always late," Jubilee brushed her hand down the skirt of her puffy yellow dress. "And they bitch about us."

Kitty giggled. A knock sounded on the door and she jumped to answer it. Remy stood on the other side. Jubilee leapt to her feet.

"Hey, hot stuff."

He raised an eyebrow at her low cut dress. "Gambit doesn't think he'll make it to the dance…"

She laughed and smacked his arm as they left. Piotr peeked in the still open door.

"Are you ready, Kitten?"

Kitty almost melted at the Russian's nickname for her and whispered. "Yes."

Nicole shooed them away when they tried to stay and wait for her. "I'll be down soon."

Nicole sat down on her bed and waited. She had been waiting for fifteen minutes and that's when she started to cry. He wasn't coming. She heard a noise at her window and rose to look to the balcony. Dom stepped though the curtains. She stared.

He wore a black button down shirt with the top three buttons unbuttoned and black slacks. His normally long hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, but he hadn't shaved. He looked sexy as hell.

"Sorry I-" He stopped and took in the woman before him. Her hair had been swept up into curls on her head and her body was swathed in the shimmering gown. It came all the way to the floor, but was strapless and bared her shoulders and arms all the way down to the white opera gloves. "Damn."

"I didn't think you were coming," she whispered. "Don't you know how to use a door?"

"Forgot to get this."

He held out a white rose.

"Oh, Dom…" She took it and smiled. "Where did you find it?"

"Scott's garden. Figured it was important. Ready?"

"Before we go… I wanna show you something."

"What?"

She stepped close to him and put her arms around his neck and leaned up to press her lips against his. Dom was shocked and opened his mouth to give her access. His hands went down her back to cup her ass and pulled her to him. The kiss deepened and he realized what she was showing him. There was no pull. She could control her powers.

She pulled back and smiled. "Surprise."

"When?"

"A few weeks ago. I wanted you to be the first I told. What do you think?"

"I'm proud. How'd you manage?"

"The Professor taught me how to put a mental block on the part of my mind that orders my skin to drain. I can control if I concentrate hard enough, but only for a short time."

Dom cupped her cheek with his hand. "You amaze me, doll."

"Thank you."

"Thank you for sharing it with me," Dom dropped kisses on her eyelids.

She blushed. "You clean up really well."

He chuckled. "Thank Remy, Piotr, Hank, Kurt, and Scott. They are all very adamant that I impress Logan, seeing as how he dotes on you."

"You pass my inspection," she grinned. "Are you ready?"

"I guess. I've never really done this dance thing before."

She took his arm. "You'll be fine."

"I know. I'm not worried, just stating a fact."

"You have a very big ego, you know that?"

He got a smug look on his face. "You know what guys with big egos also have?"

She turned red again. "What?"

"Big heads."

He led her down to the ballroom and they came through the door. Nicole could feel people staring at them and her exposed skin.

"They're staring."

"They're jealous," Dom gave a low growl.

Logan broke through the crowd and smiled at Nicole. Rogue had ordered him into a black tux, but he was missing the tie and left it unbuttoned just enough for Rogue to drool over. "You look beautiful, Nicole. A little… uncovered, but beautiful."

"Thanks Logan. I've got a surprise for you." She took off her gloves and took his hands into hers. "I can touch some now."

Logan's grin widened. "How? When?"

"The Professor helped me. I've been able to for a few weeks. I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, consider me surprised. I'm proud of you," Logan said as Rogue came and took his arm. His gaze finally fell on his son. "You clean up good, kid."

Dom snorted. "Why is everyone so amazed by that?"

"I believe they are under the impression of the phrase 'like father, like son'." The Professor wheeled close to them.

Dom laughed and gave Nicole a smile. "You wanna dance, doll, or stand here all night?"

She laughed as he dragged her away.

Xavier gave Logan a smile. "So, does he seem good enough for her, Logan?"

Logan grunted and shrugged. "He's too much like me.

"You turned out okay."

Rogue tugged on Logan's arm. "Stop worrying about them and dance with me, sugar."

Logan let Rogue drag him away to the floor. "I still wonder, kid. He's been acting strange and leaving the institute a lot."

"Relax. Look at them. Dom cares for her." Rogue assured him.

"I know, but he's off…"

"So, he's a little discombobulated. Wouldn't you be if the girl you left behind grew up while you were gone?"

Logan grew silent. "Like what happened to us?"

"Yeah, sugar. I grew up and you grew wise." She kissed him.

"I was an ass… I'm afraid he will be too."

"Then Nicole will just have to straighten him out, won't she?"

* * *

Nicole let Dom drag her to the dance floor. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she let him pull her close to him. Idly, she played with the hair at the back of his neck and he grunted.

"That tickles."

"Sorry." She stopped.

"I didn't say stop." His eyes locked on hers.

"Oh."

Dom leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Let's go outside for a minute, doll."

She nodded, numbly, and let him drag her out onto the terrace. He led her to a bench and they sat alone. He put a hand to her cheek and stared at her.

"All that time I was gone… You were always in my mind… All I thought about… All I saw."

"Dom, I-"

"Shh… Let me finish. I care about you Nicole. I care a lot."

"Dom… My feelings for you are…"

"Obvious?" he smirked. "You act like Rogue when she's around Logan."

"Dom, I lo-"

"You are so damn addicting." Dom leaned in and caught her lips with his. She tensed and then relaxed against him. He threaded his fingers in her hair and groaned.

Dom muttered some words in Japanese.

"What?" she asked and leaned back. "Was that Japanese?"

Dom rose and held out a hand to her, "Dance with me again."

She nodded and took his hand. He pulled her even closer to him and she fought to control her skin. As she listened to the opening notes of the song, she smiled.

_No one knows what it's like  
To be the bad man  
To be the sad man  
Behind blue eyes  
And no one knows  
What it's like to be hated  
To be fated to telling only lies  
_

Dom's thoughts drifted to the words behind the song. Behind blue eyes. Nicole's blue eyes held the world to him. He refused to do what he was order to. He would not hurt her. Ever.

_But my dreams they aren't as empty  
As my conscience seems to be  
I have hours, only lonely  
My love is vengeance  
That's never free_

Nicole's mind drifted. Was Dom a bad man. Had he lied? They had empty dreams and nightmare's they shared. Maybe that was what tied them together so much.

_No one knows what it's like  
To feel these feelings  
Like I do, and I blame you!  
No one bites back as hard  
On their anger  
None of my pain and woe  
Can show through  
_

Dom bit back a growl of outrage at himself. He couldn't hurt her. He had to fight it. He was not going to do it. Dom was not the beast they wanted him to be.

_No one knows what its like  
To be mistreated, to be defeated  
Behind blue eyes  
No one knows how to say  
That they're sorry and don't worry  
I'm not telling lies_

Nicole felt his muscle tense and wondered if the song had hit a nerve. She wished he would let her see his mind, see why he was acting so strange.

_No one knows what its like  
To be the bad man, to be the sad man  
Behind blue eyes._

As the song ended Dom leaned back and stared at her blue eyes. He whispered. "I won't do it."

"What?"

Dom broke away from her and disappeared into the garden. She watched him, confused by the way he was acting. She clutched her skirts in her hands and followed him. Logan watched from the window, a scowl crossing his features. Nicole found Dom out near the gazebo. He was leaning against it, smoking. She went to him and stood before him.

"Dom, what's wrong?"

He whispered. "Something's off."

"Let me read your mind and I'll-"

"No!" he cut her off. "No."

"Why not?"

"You don't want to see what's inside my head this time."

Nicole was aware of another presence and gasped as a woman just appeared in front of her. "Dom…"

He looked at her, sadly. "I'm so sorry."

The woman cackled. "Come with me, Nicole."

Nicole realized he had been set up and her eyes flashed a fiery blue. Energy crackled around her and she rose in the air. She held out her hands to defend herself, the power of her mutation coursing through her.

"Dom. Grab her."

Dom looked at the woman. "I won't hurt her, Astral."

"You'll do as I say, Fury!"

The woman bent him over and used an eyedropper to put a drop on the back of his neck. He stood up straight and she could see that his eyes had turned silver. He growled and unsheathed his claws.

"Come quietly or he will cut you up." Astral grinned. "He'll do anything I say. Just come with me, Nicole."

"My name is Mindfire," Nicole growled and used her mind to throw Astral to the ground.

Dom leapt for her and knocked her from the air. She felt his claws graze her shoulder and she screamed. Logan heard her scream and raced towards the gazebo. She was fighting with Dom, using techniques that Logan had taught her. Using her mind, she threw him back into the gazebo, shattering one wall. He shook his head and rose. Logan gave a feral roar and tackled his son. Dom grinned, wickedly, at his father and Logan gasped. The look on his face was almost identical to the one Yuriko had when Stryker had control over her. Dom slowly raised his leg and kicked his father away.

"Forget him! Let's get the girl and go!" Astral ordered.

Dom advanced on Nicole, who backed up against the hedges. Suddenly, he howled in pain and Nicole saw Logan behind him with his claws in Dom's back. Astral hissed and projected herself to knock Logan away. Slowly, Dom's back healed itself and he grabbed Nicole's arm, careful to mind her skin.

"Please Dom… Don't do this," Nicole begged. "Please Dom."

Astral was busy fighting off Logan. She moved too fast for him to attack her. He went to strike her and somehow she appeared behind him. She slammed her fists into his back and knocked him to the ground. She stood over him in victory.

"So you are the prized Wolverine? I see why you were the failed experiment."

"Leaver her alone!" Logan growled and Astral pressed her foot on the back of his neck.

"You're in no position to be giving orders. Fury! Get her and let's go!"

Dom's claws went back onto his arms and he reached for her. Nicole tried to fight him, only to be drawn against him so she couldn't move. She was facing him and stared into his cold silver eyes. She wrestled one arm free.

"Please forgive me, Dom," she whispered and grabbed a handful of his hair. She pressed her lips against his and instantly she felt the pull. She didn't stop even against his struggles. Memories and power flooded into her and her shoulder healed itself. Dom sputtered and choked until he fell to his knees. She let him collapse and gasped at the sudden understanding of him. Blood began to pool around him from his stab wounds. Nicole looked over at the astonished Astral.

"What did you do to Fury?" Astral shrieked.

Logan took advantage of her distraction and sunk his claws into her leg. Astral howled in pain and was gone in a blur. Logan rose to his feet and hurried to Nicole.

"Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay!" she screamed. "There is no way I am fucking okay!"

"Calm down, Nicole. Dom's just in your head."

"Is he dead? Is he dead, Logan?" Nicole asked.

Logan dropped to his knees and felt Dom's neck for a pulse. "He's alive."

Jean and Hank raced across the gardens to them.

"What happened?" Hank asked staring at Nicole's tattered dress.

"What the fuck does it look like?" Nicole snapped.

"Don't mind her," Logan stated. "She absorbed Dom."

Hank and Logan lifted Dom between them. They took him to the med lab and met the Professor and Rogue there. They put Dom on a table.

"I'd lock him up. He's not on our side," Logan warned. "Some bitch named Astral was with him."

Nicole leaned against a doorframe, suddenly craving a cigarette. "She was controlling him with the same stuff Stryker used on Yuriko and Scott."

Xavier went to Nicole. "What did you see?"

"Horrible things. You might want to do as Logan said and lock him up."

Xavier nodded and Hank placed Dom in a caged area. Xavier took Nicole's hand into his. "Tell me, Nicole."

"Not long after he and Logan parted in the desert, Dom ran across Astral. She lied to him and told him she'd help him find his past. Instead she took him to another lab and used that serum on him like they did Yuriko. Then they came back here to get me. He kept fighting her, but at the last minute she'd use more serum." Nicole shuddered. "She is evil. They want me so that they can revive Weapon X. They want a mutant who can be all mutants at once."

"You tell it beautifully," Dom's voice came from behind them. He was awake and standing in the cage, his borrowed dress clothes, torn and dirty. His hair was loose from the ponytail and framing his face.

"Dom?" Nicole whispered

"Don't you get it? There never was a Dom. All that there was and is, is Project Fury."

Xavier stated, "Astral didn't hope to get away with this did she?"

"Of course she did and she knew she could use me to do it," Dom spat. "Weapon X went on long after you, Logan. Yuriko was next, but before they did the process they managed to mate the two best killers they had. Wolverine and Yuriko. That produced me; the supposed ultimate fighting machine. Dominic Logan James, named for my father at my mother's request. They were ready to raise a killer. That is until Yuriko ran away with her son, but not before they performed the procedure on her. She and I hid for years. Still Stryker found us and started Project Fury.

He operated on her first, making my mother his total slave. Then he started the process on me. I was sixteen years old. I was still getting a hang of my powers and when they performed the operation, I took along time to heal. A very long time. He wanted to have another Wolverine. He only gave me two claws to set me apart. He and mother disappeared, only sending orders and missions for me. I was sent on missions periodically. I was there for three years before I got wind of my mother's death at my father's hands. I blamed Stryker, but I couldn't touch him since he drowned at Alkali. So I turned on them."

"So Astral found you and decided to start Project Fury again?" Jean asked.

"No. She wanted to revive Weapon X. She wanted an unconditional killing machine. So she used the son of Weapon X. She used my code name, Fury, and focused on capturing Nicole. She knew Nicole trusted me, maybe even loved me."

"Damn it!" Logan howled. "I killed my own son's mother."

"No Logan. You killed an empty shell that used to be my mother. You should have killed me."

"Shut up. I won't kill anymore of my family!" Logan growled.

"Wouldn't you? What if not doing so resulted in other casualties?" Dom looked at Rogue and Nicole. "What if you had a choice between the two women you love or the son you barely know?"

"Shut your damn mouth!"

"You'll have to make your choice, Logan. The time will come and if you don't choose, I will."

Rogue pulled Logan from the room and put her hand on the side of his face. "Calm down, Logan."

"What if he's right darlin'?" Logan took her hands in his. "I killed his mother. Yuriko… I never knew."

"Oh, sugar." Rogue wrapped her arms around his neck.

Back inside the med lab, Nicole walked closer to the cage. She stared at Dom and looked down at her own hands, images of them bloody and sporting adamantium claws flashing before her eyes.

"Got me up there again, huh?" Dom asked, quietly.

"Yeah. What do you care?" Nicole asked, his personality still edging in on hers.

He shrugged and she noticed his eyes were still silver.

"The serum still controls you."

He chuckled. "Astral's version is a bit more potent."

"How can we be sure what you weren't telling us was a lie? How do I know that you aren't talking that serum willingly?"

"You saw into my mind." He shrugged again and alarms began to sound. He looked around. "Astral won't let me go without a fight. I hope you're prepared for what she has in store."

* * *

Logan slowly made his way down the deserted halls, sniffing for that fast moving bitch. He caught her scent and spun around to send her crashing against a wall. She snarled and got to her feet.

"Give me Fury and I'll leave."

"You're not taking Dom anywhere," Logan growled and unsheathed his claws.

"He's mine!" she hissed. Within an instant she was gone and Logan let out a low growl. He'd kill that bitch.

* * *

Dom stared at the lock on his cage, trying to figure out the way it worked. Hank watched him warily from across the room.

"So the serum controls you?" Hank asked.

"My body, yes. No one, but me, controls my mind."

"So to over come the serum would mean to use mind over body? Simply having a strong mind would suffice?"

"Yeah."

"As you have fought to do."

"Yeah."

"How do you feel about Nicole?"

Dom's eyes snapped up to the blue man. "None of your damn business."

"So you do love her? What was Astral planning?"

"She wants Nicole's genes. She wants to slice me and Nicole's genes to create a perfect killing machine. How much simpler do I have to make it?" Dom growled and unsheathed his claws. "And I'll kill Astral before I let her hurt Nicole."

"Dom-"

Dom sliced through the lock and stared Hank down. Slowly, he opened the door and stepped out to face Hank.

"I don't want to hurt her."

"I'm sorry to say I am in no position to believe you." Hank started towards the young man to restrain him and caught an adamantium fist to the temple. He fell at Dom's feet.

"Sorry, Hank."

Dom snuck through the school. They were still looking for him and Astral. He knew they wouldn't hesitate to kill him. He rounded a corner and that's when he caught her scent.

"It's not nice to try to sneak up on people," he whispered and an unseen force threw him against a wall. He got back to his feet shakily and stared at Nicole. "I don't want to hurt you."

"How do I know you aren't lying? You did before!"

Dom took a deep breath. "I've got nothing to prove myself to you, doll."

She held out her hand and he slammed against the wall, hard. Suddenly, she turned and using her other hand, she threw Astral beside him. Astral hissed.

"You stupid bastard! Why did you let her touch you? She knows everything!"

Dom just stared ahead.

"You moron! All of my plans ruined! Kill her or I will myself!"

Jean and Scott raced around a corner and Nicole's attention went to them. Astral used the moment to project herself out of Nicole's grasp. Brandishing a dagger, Astral lunged for Nicole.

With a roar, Dom released his claws, and sunk them into Astral's side. Scott let forth an optic blast that knocked Astral and Dom away. Astral made a choking sound and held a hand to her bleeding side. Dom shook his head and got to his feet. Nicole was standing just away from him, her hands out to protect herself. Jean was standing much the same way with Scott. He felt the serum tugging on his mind, ordering him to follow Astral's orders. Glaring at Nicole, he swallowed hard, some of him still human. Some of him not Fury.

"Please forgive me. Please stop me." He moved to attack her and was cut short by a piercing pain in his back. He tried to speak, but blood came instead of words. He turned slowly and stared into the eyes of his father. Logan held his claws into Dom's back. The blades just missed his adamantium ribs, and piercing both lungs. Logan knew he had mortally wounded his son.

"I'm sorry, son." Logan drew his hands apart vertically and Dom gurgled in protest.

Dom went down on his knees. "Da-"

"Logan!" Rogue yelled and stopped short before them. "Oh my god."

Logan released his claws and stepped back form his dying son. Dom fell forward and tried to reach out to Nicole. Nicole stared at him.

"Tou… Me…" Dom gurgled.

Nicole bent down and her fingers brushed his cheek. Burning pain shot through her and she screamed. Memories and feelings flooded into her, more powerful than ever before. Images of cages, laboratories, metal, blood, rolling hillsides, Japan, Yuriko, Logan, herself, they all flooded into her. Her scream stopped short and she collapsed. Dom's ragged breathing stopped and all was still.

"No!" Logan howled and sunk his claws into a nearby wall. "My son…"

Rogue kneeled before Nicole's unconscious form. "Let's get her to the med lab, Logan."

"I hope she dies. I hope you all die!" Astral hissed and Jean cut off her voice with a wave of her hand.

Logan scooped Nicole into his arms and carried her away. He ran to the med lab, startling Hank.

"What happened?"

"Don't let her die!" Logan growled. "God help you if you do!"


	8. Bad Touch

**_Disclaimer: Grrr… I don't own any of the X-men. Marvel owns them.(Someday… they will be mine!) I do however own Dom (SCORE!) and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire._**

_**Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.**_

_**Sorry I'm slow at posting. I write the chapters in advance so that if writer;s block hits me it won't take months for you to get updates. Also I'm living in two different houses and only one has internet and my computer. On top of that I am having guy troubles and all so… I'm sure ya'll understand. So many reviews! Thank you all! You keep me inspired and happy to continue. So this chapter is a little explaining and stuff… You'll see… **_

_**This chapter is dedicated to my baby sister: I love you Queen Richard and Texas wasn't good enough for you.**_

_**mm4ever2gether- okay… the Chloe thing kinda confuzzled me for a minute. Glad u r enjoying.**_

_**Bima- sometimes I don't even know what will happen next… **_

_**Wolvieluvr- Yeah it was either Yuriko or the Japanese woman Logan was in love with in the comics, but I like Yuriko better so she became Dom's mom. **_

_**Shelaweena- welcome to the fold! (big grin). It's like my own personal cult following!**_

_**Starbaby-210- yeah, yeah your computer's on the fritz so I thought I'd give ya a shout out even though you didn't review… (Cheesin!)

* * *

**_

Nicole awoke slowly, aware of an IV in her arm. She squinted against the bright lights of the med lab and groaned.

"Can I get a glass of water?" she croaked and Logan helped her to sit up.

"Are you okay, kid?" he asked.

She nodded. "Water?"

He held a glass to her lips and she tried to gulp it. "Little sips."

She complied and stared at his drawn face. He looked so tired and worn. Rogue sat on the other side of the bed. Under her eyes were dark circles. "Logan... Rogue. How long have I been out?"

"A couple of days… How are you, kid?"

"My head hurts. There is too much up there."

"You up to talking about it? Charles is right outside." Rogue said.

She nodded and Logan helped her to lie back down. As he went to the door, she spoke, "He loved you, even if he didn't know you."

Logan stopped and his hand gripped the door frame, hard. "I know."

Charles wheeled into the room. "How are you feeling Nicole?"

She sat up slowly. "Okay. A little sore."

"Are you ready to talk?"

She nodded. "I saw it all… He wanted me to know."

"Know what?"

She stared into the Professor's eyes. "The truth."

"And what did you see?"

"Everything," Nicole said, opening her mind so Xavier could see.

* * *

_The young Japanese woman tucked the blanket around her sleeping baby. She smoothed a lock of his unruly black hair and turned at a noise in the doorway. Logan leaned against the doorframe._

_"He sleeping?"_

_"Yes. What did they say?"_

_"They won't let you leave with him. I tried, darlin'."_

_Tears came to her eyes. "I don't want them to do to my baby what they have to me… to us."_

_Logan put his large hand on her shoulder. "I know, Yuriko."_

_"I will run with him, Logan. I will run before I let them experiment on him." She held her hands out before her and her nails grew into long adamantium talons. "I don't want him to be a guinea pig."_

_"I'll help you."_

_Yuriko turned and smiled at Logan. "Our son will grow strong like his father."_

_Logan snorted. "Let's hope he looks like you."_

_"I want to run tonight."_

_Logan nodded. "Pack your things and get Dominic ready. I'll create a diversion. Just be careful, Yuriko."_

_Within an hour there were explosions from the interior of the base and guards were trying to calm the Wolverine from his bezerker rage. Yuriko and her bundled baby slipped away into the night, deep into the Canadian wilderness. She raced through the underbrush, racing towards civilization. All night she ran, until she got to a highway. Happening upon a truck driver, she begged a ride to the nearest town and from there she made her way to Seattle. She looked down into her son's deep eyes and smiled._

_"It'll be okay, Dom. I will take care of you."_

* * *

_With a groan, the fifteen year old, opened his eyes, to find himself upside down in his mother's jeep. The seatbelt held him suspended in the air. He turned and saw his mother in the same position._

_"Mom?" he whispered._

_Yuriko groaned and opened her eyes. "What happened, Dom?"_

_"There was this man in the road and he… he hit the car. Are you okay?" he stared at the cut on her cheek that was healing itself. _

_Yuriko nodded. "Are you?"_

_Dom nodded even as blood dripped into his eye. Yuriko gasped. "Dom! I can see your skull!"_

_Dom felt an odd sensation in his head and Yuriko's eyes widened. Her son's head slowly healed and left only a trace of blood. "What's wrong, mom?"_

_"Oh, my baby," she whispered, her worst fears coming true. He was a mutant. He was just like her and Logan. Exactly like Stryker wanted him to be._

_"Mom, that guy-" Dom was cut off by someone reaching into the car and wrenching Yuriko out. She stared into Sabretooth's face as he held her aloft by her neck. Bringing her close to his face, he chuckled._

_"Heya Yuriko. Long time no see!" he growled._

_"Run Dom!" she screamed and unleashed her adamantium nails. She sliced into Sabretooth's face, causing him to drop her. Trying to run, he used his fist to knock her across the road. Dom unhooked his seat belt and fell. Climbing out of the wrecked automobile, he stared as the furry beast advanced on his mother._

_"Hey! Get away from her!" Dom growled._

_"Run, Dom!" Yuriko ordered._

_Sabretooth turned around with a smile, "So this is Wolverine's runt. It'll be a pleasure cutting you to pieces!"_

_Dom took off at a run and tackled Sabretooth. He began to pummel the beast with his fists. Yuriko pulled her son away and pushed him towards the woods._

_"Run, Dom. Run far and fast and don't look back!" She ordered and turned to bury her nails in Sabretooth's chest._

_Dom obeyed his mother and ran into the forest. He could hear the sounds of battle behind him, but he ran only thinking of her orders. Suddenly, he collided with a man. The man looked down at him with an wicked smile._

_"Hello Fury."_

_Dom's eyes widened. "Stryker."_

_"Running will do you no good, my boy. Just come with me and all will be well."_

_Dom growled. "Not in this lifetime."_

_He felt the sudden sting of a needle in his back and he turned to see a young blonde mutant, holding a syringe. She smiled evilly, and broke the needle off in his skin._

_"Astral, you always were fast." Stryker's grinning face was the last thing Dom saw.

* * *

_

_Dom awoke tied to an operating table. His whole body screamed in pain and he looked down to see his bloody body, mutilated. He felt heavier and he knew that they had fused his bones with adamantium, like his parents. He howled in rage and twin blades sliced through the skin of his knuckles. He cut through the restraints and staggered to a wall. Sliding down, he stared at the claws jutting from his knuckles._

_"Fury is awake, I see," Stryker spoke from behind a glass wall. "Good morning."_

_"What did you do to me?"_

_"I made you perfect. You are even more perfect than Wolverine. You should be proud. You are a success."_

_Dom swallowed hard. "I'm a freak."_

_"But you are **my** freak. Do as I say and I promise to keep Yuriko alive and well. If not… then… well… let's say, Yuriko will not be around to watch her baby boy grow up."_

_Dom was silent for a moment. "What do you want me to do?"

* * *

_

_Dom let out a low growl as his acute hearing caught the scientist's voices through the thick glass of the containment chamber. He was suspended in water the was tinged green. It was during one of the rare times they didn't control him with the serum made from the liquids in Jason Stryker's brain. _

"_What do we do now that he's dead?"_

"_The same thing that we have done for the past three years he's been gone. Work on Project Fury."  
"What if fury learns of his mother's death?"_

"_She was just a drone ever since Stryker used the serum on her and Fury is the same. She was expendable."_

_His mother was dead? Dom felt rage course through his veins. She was dead. All he had was dead. Dom unsheathed his claws and punched one through the glass of the incubation tank he was in. The glass cracked and the weight of the water shattered it. Yuriko was dead, his mother, gone! He lunged for the men, killing them both. He paced down the cold metal halls, killing guards left and right. Exiting the small lab, he stumbled in the sand. As he past the gates of the deserted compound he felt a sharp sting in his skull and he blacked out.

* * *

_

Xavier broke the link. "I see. They triggered a chip in his brain to make him forget."

"That's what I saw. I saw all the pain Dom felt during the operation. I felt it too. I felt the sadness when he realized what he was. I felt the guilt when he became Astral's slave. I saw the way he pretended a whore in Mexico was me. He told me loved me in Japanese."

Logan's grip on the door frame tightened. "He's dead, Nicole."

Nicole turned her face away from. "I drained him, didn't I?"

"You didn't have any way of knowing," Hank said, leaning over to put a reassuring hand on her arm.

Nicole jerked away. "Please don't touch me. I can't control it."

Xavier's eyebrow rose. "You learned limited control and show-"

She shook her head. "No. No more control. I don't want to touch anyone."

"Nicole… You are stressed. Give yourself time before you make such a drastic decision-" Rogue said.

"No… Professor, my powers are dangerous. I don't want to touch anymore."

"I understand, Nicole. You know if you change your mind, you are always welcome to come back to taking lessons from Jean and I." Xavier nodded.

"I know and I thank you for it."

"Kid, you can't let Dom's death do you like this," Logan pleaded with her. "Please don't."

"I've made my decision, Logan."

* * *

Astral snarled. They had locked her in a cold room, with Fury's dead body, which had been covered with a sheet. She couldn't project herself out. She was trapped. Alone with Fury's rotting corpse. She looked at the body in disgust. Blood had soaked through the sheet. He was a failed experiment, like his father and mother.

Xavier opened the door and Magneto stood next to him.

"Astral, when will you learn?" Magneto asked. "I warned you that Fury was one who would not be controlled."

"Fury is dead!" Astral spat.

"Maybe, but you didn't succeed where Stryker left off, either," Magneto waved a hand and she was lifted by the metal restraints on her arms and legs. "I will deal with her, Charles."

Xavier nodded. "I hope that I never see you near my school again, Astral. God help you if you come back."

Astral snarled and Magneto handed her over to Sabretooth. He watched them leave and looked back at Dom's corpse.

"It's a pity that Dominic suffered the same fate as his mother," Xavier spoke, softly. "To die so young, and by someone they both cared for."

"Are you certain you saw what you saw?" Magneto asked.

Xavier stared at his old friend. "What do you mean Eric?"

"I'm just saying that these things tend to mend themselves."

Xavier stared at his old friend. "Eric."

"Until next time, Charles." Magneto left.

Xavier stared at Dom's motionless body. Dom's bloody arm jerked and fell from under the blanket. No dead body moved like that.

"Hank! Jean!" Xavier yelled and wheeled himself to Dom's covered body. He leaned down and slowly peeled the sheet away. Dom stared up with glazed eyes and Xavier sensed nothing, and then Dom's eyes closed.Hank and Jean came into the room.

"What is it Professor?" Jean asked.

"We need to get Dom to the med lab and on life support… I don't think he's dead."

* * *

Logan and Rogue arrived in Xavier's office with the other senior X-Men a few hours later. Ororo, Scott, and Gambit were all lounged around in chairs around the room awaiting the Professor's news.

Xavier wheeled into the room. "Good. Everyone is here. I have some startling news. Hank has discovered that Dom's body is still functioning on a cellular level. His body is healing itself."

Logan's jaw dropped open. "I stabbed him through the lungs! There is no way."

"You were shot in the head once, sugar. You survived," Rogue pointed out.

"His lungs are healing themselves as we speak," Hank looked at the medical chart he had before him. "They are healing very slowly so we aren't sure if he'll recover or not. We have him hooked onto life support, but it is still touch and go."

"We need to tell Nicole!" Rogue stated.

"No."

Everyone turned to stare at Logan.

"Why not?" Jean asked. "She'll come out of this depression and maybe pursue learning to control her powers again."

"And if he dies again? She'll be even more devastated. Let's wait to tell her. I won't have her hurt again." Logan set his jaw. "I won't lose both of them."

"I understand and I agree." Xavier laced his fingers together. "Not a word to Nicole, until we are certain."

"Pardon Gambit's idiocy, but isn't she a telepath? What if she reads it on our minds?" Gambit asked.

"Nicole doesn't go just traipsing around in other people's heads," Jean stated.

"Even so, Gambit does raise a point. I'll put shields in everyone's minds here today. Nicole is not to know, until we have certainty that Dom will live or die." Xavier ordered.

Jubilee burst through the door. "Nicole's drunk!"

"What?" Logan growled.

"I don't know where she got it, but she drank like a whole thing of whisky and she's on the roof. Kitty and I can't get her down."

Logan tore out of the room and Jubilee followed his up to the roof. When he got up there, he saw Kitty standing near the door, tears on her face.

"She's standing on the edge and she won't come down."

Logan stepped out and saw Nicole standing on the edge, the wind whipping around her clothes. "Nicole?"

She didn't answer him, but continued to stare into the sky. He noticed the empty whisky bottle broken nearby and he advanced on her.

"Don't come near me," she ordered.

"Nicole, what's wrong, darlin'?"

"I… I think I drank too much," she slurred.

"Why were you drinking?"

"Dom wanted to."

"Dom's dead."

She tapped her temple. "Not up here. He's always up here. He's been there ever since the day he saved my life."

"Come down off there, darlin'. Come here and talk to me."

Nicole shook her head, violently. "I just want to be left alone."

"Come down off of there and you can lock yourself in your room for a week for all I care." Logan took a few steps closer to her and reached out with one hand. "C'mon, kid."

She turned to stare at his hand and he noticed the tearstains on her cheeks. Reaching out, she took his hand and he pulled her to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her to his chest. She started to sob and clutched his shirt.

"I hate myself, Logan."

"Don't do that, darlin'. You're wonderful…"

"I look down at my hands and I expect two claws to be there. There is so much of him in my head and I killed him."

"You didn't kill him, kid. I did."

"I wish I was the one you stabbed."

"Don't say that. Don't ever say that."

"Why it's true! I hate me! You should hate me! I killed your son, Logan!"

"I killed him, Nicole. I stabbed him."

"He could have healed if I hadn't touched him!" Nicole sobbed. "If I hadn't touched him…"

"But you helped me, Nicole. You gave me insight on my past. On my family and you helped me to move on with my new family. With you and Marie." Logan took her gloved hand into his. "You helped him, by getting the truth out."

Nicole hugged Logan and buried her face in his chest. "I hate this."

"Me too, kid, me too."

* * *

**Three Months Later….**

Nicole was submersed in the book she was reading, until it was snatched from her grip. Gambit held it out at an arm's length.

"What is this smut, _chere_?" He wrinkled his nose. "Burning Desires."

"Give it back, Remy!" She rose and tried to take it.

"Gambit thinks _chere_ is lonely. If Gambit wasn't so afraid of Logan and Jubilee, he'd help you out."

"I ran out of normal books to read and I borrowed it from _your_ girlfriend. Maybe she's the lonely one."

"That was a low blow-"

"Give me my book or I'll gut you!" she snarled.

Gambit gave her a look. "_Chere_, he's coming out again."

Nicole lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry, Remy. He does that sometimes. I need to go out and clear my head for a bit."

As she walked away, Gambit grabbed her hand. "Gambit is here for you. We all are. Don't get too drunk."

She nodded and left to roam the nearby bars, to satisfy the Dom in her head. She slipped out from the mansion and walked down the lane towards the gates. She heard a noise to her left and peered into the bushes.

"Logan?" she whispered and he emerged from the bushes.

"You okay, kid?"

She nodded.

"Where you off to?"

"Drinking. Dom's thirsty.

"Dom is dead."

"Not in my head he isn't. He's always there either wanting to drink or smoke or have sex… sometimes all three."

"I'm sorry, kid…"

She brushed him off with a wave of her hand. "Perish the thought. Wanna go do some shots of tequila? Father and daughter bonding time?"

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you can keep up with me?"

"I have Dom, Remy, and you in my head. The three biggest drinkers I know… or knew. I think I'll do fine."

* * *

Dom shot up in his bed, ripping loose IVs and monitors. Sputtering, he jerked the breathing tube from his throat and swung his feet to the other side of the bed. He coughed and hacked.

"Damn," he muttered. "I need a smoke."

Rubbing the crick in his neck, he peered out the open door of his room to see Hank sleeping in a chair, with War and Peace on his lap. Dom smirked and pulled on a pair of pants he found and ripped off the offending hospital gown. Stitches in his back pulled with each movement he made.

So he was alive. He even amazed himself with this recovery. He knew his father has shredded his lungs the minute it happened and had expected to die, yet here he was. As he left the med lab, barefoot, he zipped up his pants and peered down the empty hall. Where the hell could he find some smokes?

Sniffing the air, he caught the smell of one of Logan's cigars. Good ol' dad. Always there with the smokes. Dom headed off down the hall, in the direction of Logan's scent. He got to an elevator and took it upstairs. Following the scent, he went to one of the school's many living rooms and found his dad and surrogate mother sitting on a couch. Dom leaned against the doorframe.

"Got any smokes?" Dom asked, his voice just above a growl.

Logan's head snapped around. He was so immersed in Marie he didn't even hear Dom approach.

"What the hell are you doing up here?"

"Looking for a cigarette, but cigars are just as good. Fork one over," Dom held out his hand.

Logan rose and jerked his son into the room. He slammed the door shut.

"I thought Hank was watching him?" he asked Marie, who was hugging Dom. "What if Nicole had seen him?"

"You haven't told her!"

"About that smoke-" Dom started.

"We talked about this! How can I? He might be alive, he might not. She would have spent every minute down there."

"Listen I need some nicotine-"

"Like you were, Logan! How are we going to tell her?" Rogue asked.

"I've got an idea! Give the kid a smoke and he'll go tell her," Dom supplied.

"What do you want me to do? I can't bear to see her hurt."

Dom sighed and caught the scent of a cigarette. Slowly, he left Rogue and Logan to their spat and made his way to the remodeled gazebo. Gambit was leaned back, enjoying a cigarette. His eyes widened when he saw Dom.

"_Mon Diou_! You can't keep Wolverine's kin down, Gambit sees."

"Shut up and give me a cigarette," Dom snatched the one Gambit offered and used the Cajun's lighter to ignite the tip. He inhaled the smoke and sighed happily. "Thanks."

"So you lived?"

"Apparently so. How long was I out?"

"About three months, _mon ami_."

"Damn. Where's Nicole?"

Gambit shrugged. "Reading? Moping? Maybe even drinking. Who knows, _mon ami_."

Dom took another long drag on the cigarette.

"They say that your lungs were shredded."

"So?"

"How did you survive?"

Dom shrugged. "I've got too much of my father in me? I heard my dad was shot in the head once and he lived."

Gambit shook his head. "That is frightening to Gambit."

"Whatever. I'm going to find Nicole."

"Whoa! Hold on, _mon_ _ami_. We never told Nicole you were still alive. We can't have her freaking out on us."

"Is she okay?"

"She thought she killed you."

Dom's jaw clenched and he stubbed out the cigarette. "When she absorbed me?"

"She thought she drained you. She had you stuck in her head for a long time. Changed the _chere's_ personality a bit. She got pretty wild. Still is." Gambit gave Dom a shrug. "She learned to like whisky."

"So where is she?"

"I dunno. She never stays in one place around here long."

Dom headed back for the mansion, but was intercepted by Jean and Hank.

"Where have you been?" Jean asked.

"Smoking."

"Did Nicole happen to get a glance of you?" Hank asked.

"No. I was on my way to-"

"Good. Come with us please." Hank requested. "We need to run a few more tests and-"

"No! No more fucking tests!" Dom jerked away from Jean's touch. "I want to see Nicole. I want to see her now!"

"Now is not a good time. She doesn't know you're alive."

"Then let me tell her." Dom doubled over in pain, his stitches bleeding again.

"Let's get you to bed," Hank stated.

Dom felt so weak. He nodded and leaned against Hank for support. Hank took him back to the med lab. Xavier wheeled next to Dom's bed.

"How do you feel?"

"Tired. Why didn't you tell her?"

"We weren't sure if you'd make it and we knew that you dying twice would hurt her even more," Xavier explained. "She's spent the last three months in bars, satisfying you in her head. She refuses to touch anyone. Now the question is how to tell her-"

"Don't."

Hank raised an eyebrow. "Why not, Dominic? I understand you have discovered feelings for her and-"

"No. Nothing good will come of this. Let her think I'm dead. I'll leave."

"Are you sure, Dom? You are welcome here." Jean assured him.

"I know, but I'm warped. You've already got my dad here and he's enough for the entire continent. I don't want to screw up Nicole and I feel that I will. Sometimes I still get the urge to capture her. It's my animal nature, I don't trust myself. I care about her, but I care enough to let her go."

" 'Love is like fire, but whether it's gonna warm your heart or burn your house down, you can never tell.' Jason Jordan," Hank chuckled. "One of my favorite quotes on that particular topic."

"I won't hurt her. I will leave and never come back." Dom stared at Xavier. "You're a telepath, tell me I'm lying."

"I know you are telling the truth. I understand your decision. If ever, though, you find the need or to return to us, feel free to do so."

Dom nodded. "I leave tonight."

"You are still recuperating-" Hank protested.

"No. I leave tonight."

* * *

Rogue sat near the window as rain beat against it. Logan came to her side.

"He's gone."

She nodded. "So what do we tell Nicole?"

"Professor said it would be best to just keep on as if he were dead. Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "Are you going to leave me too?"

He pulled her up into his arms. "Never, darlin'. I swear."

"I love you, Logan." Rogue looked up to his eyes.

"I love you, darlin'," he whispered and kissed her.

Rogue wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. Logan hugged her, letting her cry.


	9. Closer

**_Disclaimer: Sigh… I don't own any of the X-men. Marvel owns them.(Someday… they will be mine!) I do however own Dom (SCORE!) and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire._**

_**Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.**_

_**Sorry I've been slow on the postings. With school, work, and writer's block I just haven't had the time or energy. I'm glad everyone's liking it so far. THANK YOU! I love the feedback.**_

_**Bima- aren't they stubborn though? Glad you liked that chapter.**_

_**Lcm- thanks for the tip. I didn't know that.**_

_**Roganluvr- breathe! In and out…. Whoosh! Don't hyperventilate on me!**_

_**Mm4ever2gether- That's what everyone is telling me! LOL.**_

_**Shelaweena- yeah, who'd thought he died or something?**_

_**Wolvieluvr- I like the way you think!**_

_**Starbaby-210- you better be reading still girlie!

* * *

**_

**Four Years Later…**

With a muted thud, he landed from the leap he had taken. He took off at a break neck speed, branches slapping him as he ran. With a growl, he cleared a fallen tree and burst into the open meadow. He stopped and watched his breath in the frosty air. That's when he caught sight of it again. A black jet was hovering the above the meadow. With a low growl, he slunk back into the forest.

"This place looks cold." Jubilee made a face as she stared out at the frozen landscape. This had been her first attempt at flying the new jet with Rogue, the more experienced pilot, and she had done well.

"That's why we're here. Skiing." Rogue gave a sleeping Logan a gentle shove. "Wake up, sugar. We're here."

Logan grumbled and opened his eyes. "Good. Where's Nicole?"

"Sulking with Kitty," Jubilee said, jerking her head in direction of the two girls staring out the window. "They wanted to go to Disney World, not Canada. Remember?"

Logan chuckled. "Too bad for them. Get your asses in gear! We're heading for the cabin."

Nicole rolled her eyes and picked up her backpack. "I wanted to go to Disney World. We could be meeting Mickey Mouse and staying warm."

"Get your ass in gear."

"Yes, daddy."  
They gathered their bags and headed off into the forest towards the cabin that Xavier owned. A vacation was what they all had needed. With the pressures of school and being X-Men they had all been long overdue for some time off.

As they walked Nicole felt like she was being watched. She turned and stared off into the trees, trying to scan whatever was out there. With a shake of her head, she cleared her mind of such thoughts. It was probably an animal.

She didn't know how right she was.

* * *

Rogue giggled as Logan rubbed his unshaven faced against her neck. "Careful or you'll scratch me!"

"Have I told you that I love you?"

"Not lately. Aren't we here to be skiing?"

"Fuck skiing-"

"Alright, stop with the sex and chop us some firewood, fuzzy," Jubilee broke in.

Logan turned to the girl and growled. "Can't you go get lost in the woods or something?"

"She's right, sugar. We need to keep warm." Rogue loosened her grip on him.

Grumbling, Logan headed for the door to put on his boots.

"Thanks, Dad." Nicole giggled from the couch.

"Shut up." Logan stomped out the door and all the women erupted in laughter.

"Can you say, whipped?" Kitty giggled.

"Piotr and Remy act the same way." Nicole pointed out. "Only they are worse."

Rogue headed for the kitchen and started a pot of boiling water. "Logan asked me to marry him."

"Finally!" Nicole sighed and all the girls stared at her. "I had to go and help him pick out the damn ring and let him practice his damn speech on me!"

Rogue laughed. "It was very nice. I love the ring too. I want you girls to be in the wedding party for me."

"Of course. Have you set a date?" Jubilee asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

Rogue shrugged. "He said he wanted some time to straighten things out."

"Like what?" Kitty chirped. "His temper?"

Nicole chuckled softly. "Like that'll happen."

* * *

Logan lifted the axe and with a satisfying chop, he split the log. He was about to start on a second when he caught the scent of someone near him. He tensed and tightened his grip on the axe handle.

"Relax, it's only me," the voice sounded gruff, and a figure stepped from the shadows of the trees. He was covered in furs and there were twigs in his long, unruly hair. His beard was unkempt and bushy, and he looked the epitome of a mountain man.

"Jesus Christ in a side car! You look like-"

"An animal? Why are you here, Logan?"

"Vacation. What are you doing here, kid?"

"This was a good place to hide. Got any smokes?"

Logan chuckled and pulled a cigar from his pocket and held it out. The man snatched it and lit it with a handy match. He sucked in the smoke.

"That's good. Haven't had that for awhile."

"How've you been, kid?"

A shrug.

"She's here you know."

Another shrug. "I smelled her."

"She misses you."

Another shrug.

Logan grunted and split another log. "Marie and I are getting married."

"Bout damn time."

"I'd like for you to be there."

Shrug.

"Marie would want you there."

As if on cue, Rogue came around the corner. "It sure is taking you a long time to cho-"

She stopped abruptly and stared at the fur covered figure.

Logan sensed her fear. "Relax, darlin'. It's Dom."

"Dom?" Rogue launched herself into his arms. "I've been so worried! Look at you! All Grizzly Adams."

Dom chuckled. "I hear my father is going to make an honest woman out of you."

"Yeah… I want you to be there, Dom."

"Rogue, every one thinks I'm dead and I'm not about to change that."  
"Just think about it.

Dom's eye flicked up towards the house. "She's coming."

Within an instant he had vanished into the woods. Nicole bounded out to her surrogate parents. "What's going on?"

Logan shook his head. "Nothin'."

Nicole raised an eyebrow. "Did I intrude on some alone time?"

"No, sugar. We were just talking."

"Okay, I was just wondering if you guys wanted any popcorn. Jubes and Kitty are putting in some movie."

Logan shook his head.

"Are you two okay?"

"Get in the house." Logan growled.

Nicole threw up her hands in defeat. "Yes, master."

Rogue waited until she heard the cabin door slam and turned to face Logan. "You knew where he was the whole time! That's why you insisted on skiing!"

"Chuck found him for me. I just wanted to check on him, Marie."

"What if Nicole sees him?"

Logan shrugged. "Maybe things would work themselves out."

"Do you really believe that?" Rogue asked.

Logan sighed. "No, but I was hoping it would."

Rogue wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, Logan."

"I love you too, Marie."

* * *

Jubilee adjusted her goggles on her face and smiled at Nicole. "Last one back to the cabin makes everyone hot chocolate."

Kitty giggled. "You are so on!"

Nicole bent to tighten her snowboard to her feet. With a hop, she started down the mountain. The other two girls weren't far behind. Nicole headed for a grove of trees, she knew they could get through and she heard Jubilee curse. Nicole dodged trees left and right, using her powers to balance herself. Then she caught a glimpse of something in the woods. Like an animal running to keep up with her. Hitting a rock, she went airborne. She tumbled down the hill and landed against a tree. She groaned and put a hand to her aching leg.

"I am never doing this again."

She felt a presence and opened her eyes. She almost screamed at the man standing over here, covered in furs. He had been running in the woods. She attempted to use her powers to cloud his thoughts, but instead, she caught one of his thoughts.

_Mine…_

"Who are you," she asked and squinted.

He growled a response and bent down to examine her leg.

"I think it's broken." She watched him.

He grunted and peeled off a glove. Fumbling in his pocket, he produced a knife. She gasped as he slit her pant leg.

"Don't touch me. My skin-"

Pocketing the knife, he examined her swelling leg.

"I'm staying in a cabin not far from here. If you could help me get there or-"

He held her clothed knee in one hand and grasped her ankle with a gloved hand. With a quick movement, he snapped the bone back into place. She howled in pain.

"What the hell did you do that for!" She growled.

He didn't answer. She watched as he tore strips of a piece of material and tied two sticks around her legs as a makeshift splint. Once done, he hoisted her to her feet. Bending down, he took her over his shoulders and began to walk.

"Uh, thanks. I appreciate this. My cabin isn't very far. My name's Nicole."

He gave her no answer, only kept walking. She sighed and remained silent. She amused herself with examining the furs on his coat. And maybe his butt. For a furry guy he certainly was built well.

"Um…. All of the blood is rushing to my head…. Could you carry me a different way?"

He let her down onto her good leg, gently and scooped her into his arms.

"So… you understand English?"

Silence.

"How did you know I was out here?"

Silence.

"Okay… There it is! There's my cabin!" Nicole could see Logan running towards them.

"What the hell happened?" Logan asked as furry guy deposited her on the ground.

"I fell and broke my leg. He, uh, helped me."

Logan stared at him. "Well?"

"Keep an eye on her," the guy barked. "I don't got the time to be setting her broken bones all the time."

Nicole stared at the guy. His voice was so familiar. It tugged at some memory lodged deep in her mind.

"It ain't like you got a lot to do around here, bub," Logan growled. "Did you touch her?"

"Logan! He was just helping-"

"No, I didn't. I'm not stupid. Keep an eye on yours." With that, he turned and went back into the woods.

"Who was he, Logan? Do you know him?"

"Never mind, kid."

"Logan!" Nicole placed her hands on her hips. "Don't make me read your mind for it!"

"He's just a hermit that lives around here."

Her eyes narrowed as she sat in the cold snow. "Liar."

"It doesn't matter who he is, kid. How's the leg?"

"He set it."

"Want to touch me for a quick fix?"

"No," she answered, quickly. "I don't ever want to touch anyone."  
Logan grew quiet for a moment, wanting to scream out that the hermit was Dom, that she shouldn't fear touching, but he stayed silent. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Wanna help me inside so that we can get a cast done?" Nicole asked and smiled as Logan helped her up onto her good leg and took her up into his arms. "I told you we should have gone to Disney World."

* * *

Logan stared into the darkness and absently rubbed the platinum band on Rogue's finger. He thought back to when he proposed to her. Nicole had gone with him to pick out a ring and he practiced the speech on her for a week before he had gotten the guts to ask. He chuckled, remembering how Rogue had squealed and leapt into his arms. He tightened his hold on Rogue and breathed in her scent. A shadow passed over the skylight in their room and he stared up to see Dom wave at him before moving on. Logan snorted and moved so he could nuzzle at Rogue's neck. She moaned and slowly opened her eyes.

"Again, sugar?"

He nodded and caught her lips with his. His hand traveled to her thigh and he tugged up her nightgown.

* * *

Dom peered down into the skylight above Nicole's room. She was asleep in her bed, the blankets twisted around her legs. He watched her sleep, each movement of her chest rising and falling, captivated him. She began to awaken and he shrunk back from sight. Sitting up, Nicole yawned and stretched. She tucked a lock of her hair behind her head. She had let it grow since he had last seen her. She swung her cast covered leg over the edge of the bed and hobbled to the bathroom. When she emerged, she had a glass of water.

Dom knew he loved her. He wished he could tell her he was here. That he was still alive and wanted to love her. He wanted her to love him. Dom growled and jumped from the room and headed towards his home.

* * *

The next morning, Nicole hobbled out to the woods in her new cast and peered around. There was something funny about that so called hermit and she was determined to find out more about him. She had caught glimpses of him in the woods all day.

"Hey! Are you around, hermit guy?" She took a few cautious steps with her crutches. "I know you're around! I just wanna-"

She heard a low growl and turned so fast she fell. Looking up, she saw him and he just stared at her. He held out a gloved hand and helped her back to her feet.

"Hi. I was looking for you."

He stared.

"Thanks again for helping me out. It was nice of you."

He grumbled something.

"What?"

"Got any smokes?" he asked, hoarsely.

She shook her head. "Logan might have cigars in the house. Come inside with me and I could check."

The hermit shook his head.

"What's your name?"

He resorted to silence, just staring at her.

"Okay, well, I could do all of the talking, then. Like I said yesterday, my name is Nicole and I am a freak. Or a mutant I guess. I'm sure you've heard of mutants. Well my skin, it drains people's life away and I can read minds and move things with my mind. My skin still kills people and my death count is only at one so far. I take college classes in New York and have a foster dad who is animalistic as all get out and-"

He grunted and looked towards the house. Jubilee was standing at the door to the cabin, staring at them.

"Hey, is he the guy that fixed your leg?" Jubilee bounded to them. "Wanna come inside and get warmed up?"

"I offered. He said no."

"Are you sure? We've got coffee and hot chocolate. Maybe a shower?" Jubilee wrinkled her nose at his disheveled appearance.

The hermit gave a gruff snort and crosses his arms. He was reveling in being so close to Nicole. It had been a long time. He could even smell her perfume… Some sort of flower… Roses…

"Nice hot shower? Shave? Bubbly bath?" Jubilee prompted further. "Cookies?"

"Leave him alone, Jubilee," Nicole hissed.

Without a word, the hermit turned and walked away into the woods. Nicole tried to hobble after him, but fell in the snow.

"Wait! Oh crap. Way to go, Jubes. I was so close to getting him to come inside."

Jubilee snorted. "Not any closer than me. He was cute in a Jeremiah Johnson sort of way."

"I don't even know who he is. Logan does, but he won't tell me."

Jubilee shrugged. "I dunno. You up to watching me kick Kitty's ass at snow boarding?"

Nicole gave her friend a smile. "Always."

* * *

Scot helped his very pregnant wife down the ramp of the Blackbird and towards the girls, who were waiting for them. Jean had pestered him into joining on a vacation up north with everyone and he had finally agreed. Rogue went to hug them both.

"You still haven't had that baby?" Rogue laughed.

Jean nodded. "Scott didn't want me to come out here, but I told him I would be fine."

Nicole hobbled to them. "Hey, you two!"

"What happened to you?" Scott asked.

"Skiing accident-"

"And some hot hermit saved her," Kitty giggled.

Jean raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Nicole blushed. "He found me and set my leg. He's weird. Logan knows him."

Scott looked at Jean and then to Logan. "Really?"

Logan shrugged, "Met him when I was searching for my past."

Jean glared at Logan. "Well, let's go inside so I can warm up and we'll discuss this hermit."

Nicole looked confused. "What is there to discuss? He helped me and he's weird."

Jean shook her head. "I mean, Logan, Rogue, Scott, and I. Sorry girls. You need to sit this one out."

They all went inside and Jean led the aforementioned to another room. Kitty and Jubilee looked to one another.

"Of course we aren't going to take this sitting down are we?"

Kitty went to the wall and tried to phase her head through it.

"Get your ass back in the other room!" Logan growled.

Kitty fell back on the floor and glared at the wall. "He can be such an ass."

"I'm guessing the hermit is Dom?" Jean asked.

Rogue nodded. "Yeah. He's been keeping his distance though."

Logan snorted. "Bullshit. I saw him skulking around her the other night."

"I was not skulking. I was stalking," Dom spoke from the bed. He was laid back against the headboard chewing on a toothpick.

Jean stared at him. "You look like Jeremiah Johnson."

"Thanks, doll. You look pregnant."

Her hand went to her enlarged, belly. "Yep. A little boy."

He nodded. "That's hot."

"Thanks… I think. I thought you wanted to stay gone."

He shrugged. "I've been thinking."

"And?" Scott asked.

He shrugged.

"That doesn't count as an answer."

"Any of you got any smokes?"

"No. Now about this-"

"I ain't discussing it now." Dom rose and crossed to the door. "Besides you got eavesdroppers."

He opened it and all three girls fell into a heap at his feet. He glared down at them.

"Heya' hermit man," Jubilee grinned.

Dom raised an eyebrow. "Make yourself useful and get me some smokes."

Kitty untangled herself from the other two girls. "Are you staying?"

Dom glared at her. "Smokes. Now."

They scrambled to their feet and left. Nicole rose, slower, scowling at the team.

"I heard my name. What's going on?"

"Later, darlin'." Logan pushed her out the door, gently. "I promise."

Nicole glared at them and stalked away to her room. She slammed the door and howled in outrage. She hated when they kept secrets from her.

Dom grinned. "I think you pissed her off."

"What are you going to do?" Rogue asked.

"Shave."

* * *

Dom sat in the chair before Jean and Rogue. Rogue had a pair of scissors in one hand and a comb in the other. Jean had an old fashioned razor and a can of shaving cream.

"I can shave myself, you know. I'm not sure I trust you with that razor."

"Cute," Rogue snorted. "How much do you want off the top?"

"Cut it like before."

"Hold still," Jean ordered as she trimmed the beard to a shorter length before she was to start using the razor.

Rogue tipped his head forward and noticed something under his hair where his hairline met his neck. Peering through the, hair she saw it was a tattoo of some sort.

"What's this on your head, Dom?"

Dom's fingers went to the spot and he spoke automatically. "458-99-923."

"What?" Jean asked and she got images project from him of himself with his head shaved and held down on a table, while men tattooed the number on the back of his head. "An ID?"

"Like Logan's dog tags… only more permanent." Dom scratched the spot. "My identification number in case anything happened to me."

"Oh…" Rogue continued to cut his hair. "How much do you remember?"

"Everything. I was a killer."

"No, you were a slave." Jean gave him a sad look. "Your mom… She wasn't evil."

"My mom was a drone, by the time Logan killed her. He… He told me when she died she was herself… not the monster that Stryker created. I was glad for that."

Rogue stopped cutting. "I'm done."

Jean began to shave him. "If I cut you-"

"Relax, doll… I'll heal."

* * *

Dom rubbed his now smooth chin and raked a hand through his cut hair. He took a long drag off his cigarette and sighed, happily. Leaving the bathroom, he stared at his father.

"What are you going to do?"

Dom shrugged, a habit he was now forming.

"Are you going to tell her?"

"Thought about it."

"This is a small house. Can't hide for long."

"I know." Dom opened the bedroom door and headed for Nicole's room. He opened the door, slowly. He was nervous. She was asleep on her bed, her cast covered leg, propped up by pillows. He crossed to her and stood over the bed, drinking in the sight of her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he let his hand go to her waist. She shifted, but stayed asleep. Dom let his hand travel up to her cheek and he leaned down to kiss her, He brushed his lips across hers and was satisfied when there was no pull. Slowly, her eyes opened and she looked up, dreamily.

"Dom?"

"Hey, doll."

"I like this dream…" she murmured and cupped his cheek with her gloved hand.

"It's not a dream. I'm here." Dom leaned back down and caught her lips with his. The kiss deepened and she tangled her fingers in his hair. Suddenly, she snapped out of her half awakened state and he felt the pull. Pushing him away, she stared at him with wide eyes.

"Dom? You're alive?"

Nicole drew back her hand and slapped him. Hard.


	10. Bolt From The Blue

_**Disclaimer: Sigh… I don't own any of the X-men. Marvel owns them.(Someday… they will be mine!) I do however own Dom (SCORE!) and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire.**_

_**Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.**_

**_I am so sorry I haven't posted! My computer was trashed and the stupid people working on it deleted all my stuff so I had to re write it all… GRRR….. So here's Chapter Ten and Eleven is on the way. Sorry if this Chapter is Kinda dull… I'm getting writers block. If ya'll have any suggestions, just say so._**

_**Floppybelly- Welcome! I knew about the claw thing I just went along with kina how the movie is going, but thank you!**_

_**Lcm- I am sorry that I have been depriving you!**_

_**Wolvieluvr- thank you, thank you**_

_**TheOneandOnlyBarry- hello and thanks**_

_**Mm4ever2gether- yes I felt he deserved to be hit by a two by four, but slapping works too.**_

_**Bima- he so deserves it**_

_**Roganluvr- you aren't the only one with that phrase.

* * *

**_

Dom snarled and caught both of her wrists and pinned her down to the mattress. "What the fuck was that for?"

Tears clouded her blue eyes. "For making me hurt for four goddamned years! For making me think you were dead! For making me think that I killed you!"

"I'm sorry, doll. I thought I was doing the right thing, by not being in your life."

"Well, you didn't. I thought I had killed you, Dom."

"Forgive me. I missed you."

"I missed you too," she said, quietly. "I'll forgive you if you get off me. I can't feel my legs and I can feel what I can only hope is your belt buckle pressing into my stomach."

Dom grinned and ground his hips against hers. "I was just getting comfortable."

He ducked his head down and lapped at the hollow of her neck, his hand coming up to cover her breast. She moaned and pushed on his shoulders.

"You can't just come waltzing back into my life, just like that Dom. I hate you right now."

"But you like it when I do this," his hand covering her breast squeezed, "And this," his mouth came down close to hers. "You like it when I touch you."

"I don't like being touched anymore. I haven't since your death…"

Dom tried to put his hand on her cheek and she jerked away. "No Dom! I don't want to be touched."

"Nicole," Dom sat up and raked a hand through her hair. "You learned to control it. I know you still can."

"You don't get it Dom. I don't want to touch anymore. I like being untouchable. It keeps my emotions safe!"

"You were so unhappy not being able to touch. Why give that up?" Dom asked.

"Because it killed someone I cared about. I had you in my head for a long time, Dom. I saw lots of things and had lots of feelings. Everywhere I looked I saw you in some way or another!" she said, angrily, tears coming to her eyes. "At every seedy bar I went to, every time I passed your room, every damn tine I closed my eyes I saw your thoughts for three months straight. I grieved and I hurt for a long time. Then… I… I moved on, Dom."

"What do you mean. I love you, Nicole. I want to be with you, not running around in the wilderness for the rest of my life. I want you." Dom took her gloved covered hand in his.

"What if I've got somebody waiting for me back at the mansion?"

Dom stopped and looked up at her. "Do you?"

"Yes."

"Who is he? That damn Cajun?"

"His name is Darryl. He's studying to be a neurological surgeon. We met at school in New York."

"What does he got that I don't?"

"He didn't run at the first sign of trouble."  
"He's not a mutant."

"No."

Dom became very quiet and suddenly unsheathed his claws. She flinched. He bent down and sliced through her cast. "Touching me probably healed you right?"

She nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Dom. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he growled and left the room.

* * *

Dom shifted uncomfortably in the chair in front of Xavier's desk. He had barely been in Westchester ten minutes before the old man had been in his brain, telling him to come to his office. So now Xavier was staring him down.

"Are you trying to read my mind or something?" Dom asked.

"No, merely thinking how good it is to see you again. I have a proposition for you, Dominic. Since your father has such a large class load, what with physical education and the self defense classes. How would you like to take over his PE classes?"

Dom raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"

"It seems to be a job you'd be suited for and it seems you want to stick around, do you not?"

"I guess." Dom took a second to think. A job here meant more time around Nicole. That could be both good and bad. "I'll take it."

"Would you like to start immediately?"

"Sure."

Next thing Dom knew, he was standing in front of a bunch of kids in shorts and t-shirts.

"Who are you?" a blond girl asked.

"You're new gym teacher."

"Where is Logan?"

Dom shrugged. "If he's smart he's with his fiancée."

"Why are you here?" a boy with scales asked.

"I'm his replacement. What do you normally do in here?"

"Laps, jumping jacks, pushups… That sort of thing." The blond twirled a chunk of her ponytail around her fingers.

Dom grimaced and looked around. "Hey, do you guys know how to play soccer?"

Nicole slowly bit into her apple as she walked and skimmed through her books for her genetics class. As she passed the gym, she could hear the shouts of the kids inside. Logan must have let them have a free day for something. She paused at the door and watched. That's when she saw Dom. He was running down the length of the gym, chasing a soccer ball. His hair was pulled back into a small ponytail and his shirt left nothing to her imagination. He pulled back his foot to kick the ball and his foot went right through the ball, as it had became liquid.

"Natasha!" He turned and glared a blond girl. "I said no powers!"

"You're using your healing ability! I'm just leveling the playing field."

"No powers!" Dom looked towards the door and saw Nicole. He jogged in her direction. "Better be careful. You could get hit in here."

"I didn't know Logan took the day off."

"He didn't. I'm the new gym teacher." He eyed her book. "What are you reading?"

"Huh? Oh, a genetic book. For class."

"You said before you were in Medical school. What are you studying?"

"X-Genetics. It's a new field and I'm one of the first to be majoring in it. I didn't know you were teaching. "

"Yeah, Chuck asked me as soon as I got here."

"It's good to see you around here, again."

Dom palmed a basketball with one hand. "I guess it's kinda good to be back."

The entire gym class gave a collective sigh and Dom turned to snarl at them. "Get the gym cleaned up and hit the showers."

Nicole gave a chuckle. "I should leave you to your class."

"Wait. Have lunch with me," Dom blurted out.

Her eyes were sad. "I can't. Darryl's taking me out."

Dom's eyes dropped. "Okay."

He turned and sprinted across the gym cursing himself under his breath. He should just leave her alone. Let her be happy with Darryl. Nicole watched him and left the gymnasium, shaking her head.

* * *

Jubilee watched as some of the younger students hung the banner that read, Congrats Logan and Rogue over the stairwell. She glared at Dom who was lounged on the stairs smoking a cigarette. She sauntered over to his and put her hands on her hips.

"You could be helping. It is your dad's engagement party."

Dom shrugged.

"You know that is getting to be a pretty annoying habit. You've been back for two weeks now and all you do is sit around and mope because Nicole didn't choose you. You know that torn her up inside."

"She seems happy enough," Dom growled and motioned to Nicole who was out back helping Hank with the grill.

"For your information she is very unhappy that you aren't talking to her. You're her friend, Dom."

"She's got enough god damned friends if you ask me. You, the Cajun, Kit-Kat, and she seems real friendly with Darwin."

"Darryl."

"Whatever."

"Would you just get your head out of your ass for ten seconds?" Jubilee snapped. "She cared for you so much! It killed her when she thought she had killed you!"

Dom snorted. "Seems like she's more interested in Darwin right now."

Jubilee looked towards the window and saw Nicole running towards the tall blond man. "His name is Darryl. Be nice."

"No. He looks like a walking ad for the Gap."

Jubilee looked at Darryl in his khakis and pullover sweater and giggled. "Maybe, but she cares about him and if you love her then let her be happy."

Dom snorted. "How's that saying go… If you love them let them go. I'm going to go and find that boyfriend of yours for some pool."

He got up and stalked away and she whispered. "You forgot the rest, Dom. And someday they'll come back if they love you."

Nicole hugged Darryl. "Thank you for coming. I'm so excited for you to meet everyone."

"Meet too, honey. This place is amazing." Darryl looked around with his blue eyes. "So am I ready to meet your parents?"

"I dunno? Are you?" She teased.

Rogue saw Nicole with Darryl and tugged on Logan's arm. "Logan, her boyfriend is here. Time to meet and greet."

Logan looked over and scowled. "He's standing to close to her."

"Logan."

"What?"

"Be good."

"I don't think it's me you need to worry about. Dom seems pretty pissed today."

"He's be good. You need to set a good example. C'mon." Rogue dragged him over to Nicole and Darryl. "Hey you two. Is this the Darryl we've been hearing so much about?"

Nicole smiled brightly. "I was just getting ready to find you two. Logan and Rogue this is Darryl Walters, my boyfriend. Darryl is Logan and Rogue. They are the closest thing I have to parents."

Darryl shook both of their hands. "It's a pleasure. I've heard so much about you. This school is amazing."

Rogue nodded. "It sure is. I'm glad to finally meet you. Nicole told us you're studying to be a surgeon?"

"Yes, a neurological surgeon. My mother always wanted me to be a doctor. Oh, congratulations on your upcoming wedding."

"Thanks," Logan said, gruffly.

Rogue glared at him. "Why don't you two go ahead and go eat. Hank has got some burgers done now."

Nicole led Darryl away as he said over his shoulder, "Pleasure to meet you."

Rogue elbowed Logan. "You are so mean."

"I don't like the little suck up. He looks like a walking ad for the Gap."

Rogue giggled. "Logan!"

"What?"

"You are awful. I hope your son is nicer to him than you were."

"I wouldn't count on it, kid. Anyway, just relax. This is our day. Don't ruin it with worries about Dom and Nicole. They're big kids. They can take care of themselves."

Later that evening, Darryl and Nicole sat on the patio together. He took her gloved hand in his.

"I don't think your dad, Logan, likes me."

"Relax, he doesn't like anyone." Nicole chuckled.  
"Yes, well, I felt very strong vibes of hate coming from him."

"Don't mind him. He can be a bully." She heard the crack of a pool ball striking another and grinned. "C'mon and meet Jubes and her boyfriend."

Darryl let her lead him inside to the game room. Dom was leaned over the pool table with a cigarette dangling from his lips. When she entered the room he looked up and scratched the cue ball.

"Fuck me," he growled.

"Living up in the wilderness, make you rusty, _mon ami_?" Remy chuckled.

"Nah, I got distracted," Dom took a swig of his beer.

Nicole wrinkled her nose. She hadn't expected Dom to be in here. "I'd like you guys to meet Darryl. Darryl this is Remy and Dom. Dom is Logan's son."

Darryl held out his hand to Dom. "So that makes you her brother?"

Dom stared down at his hand and blew a cloud of smoke into the air. "Hardly."

"Dom! Excuse him. Living in the woods has given him the manners of a mutt." Nicole glared at Dom.

"Sorry, doll. I'll work on that manners thing as soon as I get those damn table etiquette down."

She narrowed her eyes. "Dom."

"Truth is I don't give a flying fuck about meeting your boyfriend, anyway."

"Now see here. I don't think it's necessary to use that sort of language in front of Nicole." Darryl stepped close to Dom.

"I don't think it's necessary for you to be getting up in my face, Abercrombie," Dom snarled.

"Would you care to settle this outside?"

"Ladies first."

"Dominic Logan James!" Nicole yelled. "Why must you be such an ass?"

Dom stared at her. "I guess cuz I'm so damn good at it."

He swallowed the last of his beer and left the room, heading for Ororo's gardens. Nicole grit her teeth and took a hold of Darryl's arm as he tried to follow.

"No, let me go talk to him. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure, honey?"

She nodded. "Pay some pool with Remy."

He turned to look at the red-eyed Cajun. Remy grinned. "I'm stripes."

Nicole raced out into Ororo's garden and caught up to Dom near the maze. She grabbed his arm.

"What the hell just happened in there?"

"I just met your boyfriend, doll."

"There was no need for you to be so rude! He hasn't done a thing to you!"

Dom snorted. "I'm always like that."

"You did that on purpose! Dom, just because I didn't come leaping back into your arms doesn't give you the right to be so mean to me. We used to be friends. We used to talk. What happened?"

"I died, that's what happened."

"No. You got jealous of Darryl."

Anger flashed in Dom's eyes. "Jealous?"

"Yes."  
Dom began to walk around her in a circle, staring at her. "Me?"

"Yes you."

He advanced on her and she backed up until she felt a tree at her back. Putting one arm on either side of her, he put his face close to hers.

"Jealous of you and Darryl?"

"Yes," her voice quivered.

"Why would I be jealous? I know what you want." His hands went to her hips. "You want my mouth on you, touching places you only dreamed of."

Slowly, his hands traveled up as he spoke, brushing the sides of her breasts. "You want my hands covering every inch of your body and my tongue licking a path…"

His mouth was dangerously close to her neck. He ground his hips against her. "You loved it when I did that. You want it all and most of all you want… me."

Nicole's eyes snapped open. "No, that's lust Dom. I may lust after you, but I love Darryl."

She pushed him back. "I was a stupid, childish girl with a crush on the man who saved my life. I didn't love you, I idolized you. You were just a child's crush. I'm too old for crushes. I love Darryl and he loves me. I don't want you anymore."

Dom stared at her in shock and pushed himself away with a snarl. "Then go to your fucking Darryl. I hope you have lots of Gap babies together."

He turned away and Nicole looked to the ground. "I'm sorry."

"You say that a lot. Get the fuck outta here."

Nicole brushed the tears from her eyes and ran away. Dom growled and punched the tree, hating himself.

"You damn fool," he muttered and began to walk away. "You should have just stayed dead."

On the other side of the hedge, Ororo stood, pruning shears in hand. Tears were streaming down her face as dark clouds formed in the sky. She dropped the shears and ran into the house, barely missing Scott and Logan.

"What's up with her?" Logan asked as the rain began to fall.

* * *

Nicole sipped her punch as she watch Logan and Rogue, dance their first dance as husband and wife. The wedding had been beautiful, with Scott as the best man, surprisingly, and Jubilee as maid of honor. Nicole had been a bride's maid opposite Hank, and now wished she could get out of the stuffy blue dress she wore. She also wished Darryl was with her, but he had family business to attend to.

She also wished Dom had been there, but there was no sign of Logan's son. He had made himself pretty scarce over the last month, only showing up for his classes. Nicole's eyes had searched the whole church, but no Dom.

With a sigh, she let her thoughts go back to the new couple. Rogue was staring up into Logan's eyes and playing with a lock of his hair. The smile on his face was priceless. She rolled her eyes and stepped near the window to the patio. Maybe if she looked hard enough, she'd see Dom.

Jean snuck outside to cuddle with her newborn son, Evan, who was born the day after the engagement party one month earlier. She noticed Dom seated at one of the tables, an empty shot glass before him.

"I missed seeing you at the wedding."

'I was there," Dom's voice shocked her. "I was in the back."

"Oh. It was a nice wedding."

"I guess."

"No cigarette?" Jean smiled.

"Nah, not since you got Scooter Jr. out here."

"Would you like to hold him Dom?"

"Uh…"

"C'mon, he won't bite."

Dom sat next to Jean and she placed Evan in his arms.

"He's small."

"Babies generally are. I look and Evan and I see the future, though. He's going to change the world. Maybe make things better."

"Probably… You want to know don't you?" Dom asked. "If he's a mutant?"

Jean looked away. "I do and I don't. I don't want the suffering for him, but I know if he is… He might change the way people think."

Dom was silent for a moment, studying the baby. Evan stopped the minor fussing he was doing and stared back. He handed him back to Jean. "Tell Scott, congrats… Mom and Dad too."

He started to walk away and stopped. "Jean… Evan is a mutant. Say your thanks."

Jean nodded as tears came to her eyes. "Good. I wouldn't dream of anything else."

Dom left her to her baby and was about to head back towards the mansion when he heard his name.

"Dom… Didn't think you'd show." Logan took a puff from his cigar.

"I was here. It's not like my dad will get married every day."

"Hrmph… Heard ya telling Jeanie that Evan was a mutant. You can tell?"

"I just kinda know when some one is… Well, congrats, pops."

"Where the hell do you think you're going? If I have to suffer through this, so do you!" Logan snarled and grabbed Dom by the arm and propelled him into the reception. Dom smacked into Jubilee.

"Whoa! Steady on, buddy. Where have you been? You missed the wedding."

"I was here. I didn't miss it," Dom said as he saw Nicole with Kurt and Bobby. "I'm going to go dance with Rogue."

Rogue smiled when Dom came to her side. "Hey!"

"Can I get a dance, mom?"

She laughed. "Of course you can. Just don't make Logan jealous."

He took her to the floor and began to dance with him.

Logan came back inside and chuckled when he saw Rogue and Dom dancing. He sought out Nicole, who was sitting, watching them dance. He sat next to her.

"Hey kid."

She smiled at him. "Hey Logan. Nice party, huh?"

"I guess. I'd rather be on the honeymoon already."

Nicole laughed. "Well only a few more hours and you'll be on your way to Alaska."

"I can't wait. Where's Dilbert?"

"Darryl."

"Whatever."

"He had family business."

"So go dance with Dom."

Nicole flinched. "Dom hates me."

Logan shrugged. "Seems like he's been avoiding you."

"I said some things to him I shouldn't have. He hates me."

Logan raked a hand through his hair. "I don't know what to tell you kid."

Nicole watched Dom dance with Rogue and sighed. "I just wish it was like before… before I thought he died. We were friends then."

Logan put his hand on her gloved one. "I know kid."

Dom stared over Rogue's shoulder at Nicole and Logan. His eyes went back to Rogue.

"I need to leave."

"Because of her?" Rogue asked.

"Because I want to!" Dom snapped. "Sorry… Congrats."

He dropped his arms and left the reception. Once he got outside he lit a cigarette and headed for the mansion. He was running again.


	11. Succession

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the X-men. Marvel owns them.(Someday… they will be mine!) I do however own Dom (SCORE!) and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire. Additionally this chapter I own Daniel (Devil) and Jessie(Daystar)._**

_**Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.**_

**_Jessie and Daniel are based upon my ex and I, because I still care about him and whatnot and I thought it would be a cool little twist in my story. I borrowed Daystar from the Blade Trinity movie. Thought it would fit her powers._**

**_Mm4ever2gether- thanks for being so patient with me. I hope so too!_**

_**Starbabt-210- U R CRAZY! Thanks for the Ideas and think of the dot!**_

_**Floppybelly- stalking can be a good thing! LOL. I know that Logan and Rogue need a kid, but I need to decide if it'll be a boy or a girl and all that jazz… aren't honeymoons where all the magic happens? I promise Evan will be cute. **_

**_Fairytalepriness03- thank you very very much and welcome to the cult!

* * *

_**

So Dom decided not to run again… well… not entirely. Seeing as how every time he saw Nicole he ran the opposite direction. Or to a bar. He was content to spend all his waking moments drunk. All of his waking moments besides his classes.

In those rare moments, he was not in class and still lucid, he'd be found running. Often the children would sit outside on the track and watch him run for hours. When Dom ran, he blocked out everything else and his thoughts.

Crouching to tie his sneaker, he noticed the children waiting on the bleachers to watch him and he smiled. He'd outlast them all.

After three hours of running, Dom went back inside to the mansion and to the common room. He lied down on a sofa and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Nicole stared at the book across the room from her in the library and slowly it began to levitate. She brought it to her hand and began to flip through it. Unsatisfied with what she read, she levitated it back to its spot. As she was about to levitate another, Scott entered the room.

"What are you doing?"

"Practicing."

"Ready for a danger room session?"

"Sure. I've got time to kill. Lonely since Logan is gone on his honeymoon?"

"Yeah. I don't have any sparring partners for the Danger Room now."

Nicole followed him down the hall and almost bumped into him when he stopped short. A smile came to his face.

"Your best friend."

She peered around him to see Dom asleep on a couch. One of the younger girls in the school was covering him with an afghan and she turned to smile at them.

"He doesn't make me do guy pushups in gym." She ran off, blushing.

Nicole smiled. "Where has he been?"

Scott shrugged. "He disappears every night. I think he goes bar hopping."

"I really hurt him bad, Scott."

"If he really cares he'll let you be happy."

"That's what Jubilee said. C'mon. Let's go to the Danger Room."

As they walked away, Dom opened his eyes and frowned. Why was it any of Scott's business where he went? It's not like he was one of the X-Men. He was just teaching… until he found a way to move on. He had nothing to tie him to this place. Nothing but a damn job.

**_I need everyone to come to my office, immediately._** The Professor voice cut through Dom's thoughts. Dom growled and threw the blanket to the floor. By the time he arrived in the office everyone else had gathered.

"I have a mission that is of the utmost priority. It seems there is a young girl in southern California who can concentrate psi waves into objects and she's being persecuted by her church. We need to establish contact with the girl and help her. Storm, I want you and Nicole to-"

"Wait. Nicole is a little young to be going on a mission, isn't she?" Scott asked. "Why aren't you going, Professor? You always want to offer your school to prospective students.

Xavier sighed. "I was hoping to wait to inform everyone of my decision, but it seems now is the time."

"Professor-" Jean started and he held up his hand.

"No Jean. They need to know. As you all are aware, I won't live forever, and someday, someone will have to take my place. I've chosen Nicole as my successor, if she'll accept."

Nicole's eyes widened. "Me?"

"Yes. I know you are young and still have yet to prove yourself in the field, but I believe you would be an astounding leader."

"What about Jean?" Nicole stated. "I mean she seems like more of a-"

Jean stopped her. "Nicole you are more powerful than me by far. When I was your age I could barely levitate a book and the other day I saw you lift a car for Scott. With just a few more years of practice you could even operate Cerebro."

Nicole shook her head. "I don't know… I mean. I don't feel that qualified and-"

"Nicole," Dom spoke quietly. "I've never been afraid of anything in my entire life. Not any of the bad asses I've come across, not the military, not even death, but that night you threw me against a wall and drained me… I got a little skittish. You have amazing power. I think you can do it."

"Well said, young man," Hank chuckled. "I agree."

Scott nodded. "I'm a good field leader, but when it comes to running a school and the team, I'm lost. You're perfect for this Nicole."

Nicole blushed. "Are you sure?"

Xavier grinned. "Of course. Does this mean you'll accept?"

Nicole nodded. "Yes. I'd be proud to be your successor."

"Good, then Storm and Nicole shall go on to California to talk with the young girl."

"Okay," Nicole said and the team started to dissemble.

"Dominic. Would you stay for a moment?" Xavier asked as Dom was about to leave the room. Dom turned and crossed his arms over his chest. Jean gave him a smile.

"What?"

Xavier laced his fingers together. "I know you aren't an official member of the team, Dominic, but I was hoping you'd accompany them to California."

Dom raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I know Storm and Nicole are both able to defend themselves if necessary, but it would make me rest easier if they had someone else along, such as you."

"Like you said. I'm not a member of the team, Chuck."

"You could be," Nicole said.

Dom let his gaze drop on her. "Isn't one Wolverine enough for you people?"

"Apparently not," Storm smiled. "Please come with us."

Dom sighed. "I guess… If you can get Popsicle to watch my classes."

Nicole smiled and Xavier nodded.

"I believe that can be arranged."

As they left his office to pack and prepare for their mission, Nicole stopped Dom in the hall with a warm hand on his arm.

"Thank you, Dom… For what you said in there."

"I only spoke the truth."

"Yeah, but coming from you… It means something. Thanks for agreeing to come with us."

"I've been looking for an excuse to fly that jet." Dom shrugged his shoulders.

"Anyways. Thanks. I'll see you on the jet." She turned and walked away to pack and call Darryl. Upon entering her room, she dialed his number.

"Hello?"

"Darryl? It's me, Nicole. I've got wonderful news!"

"What's that?" Darryl asked.

"Xavier has chosen me as his successor! I'll be in charge of the school!"

"That's wonderful, but what about school? What about being a doctor?"

"I'll still be able to do that Darryl."

He was quiet for a moment. "What about us? Can we have a future if you're running a school?"

"Of course we can. Why wouldn't we?"

"I don't know. Can we talk later? I've got to go to my meetings."

Nicole sighed. "I'll be gone for a few days. I need to go to California for Xavier."

"Call me when you get back."

"Of course. I love you."

"Love you, too."

Nicole hung up. She had expected him to be happier for her. When she got back they could talk about it and maybe he'd understand. She started to shove clothes into her bag. Maybe being away for awhile would be good for her. Although, she was going to have to be around Dom a lot and he was still angry with her. A knock sounded on her door and she spun around. Storm stood there with a smile on her face.

"Are you ready?"

* * *

Storm set the controls as she spun her chair around in the Blackbird. "We'll be staying with Mama Belle. She has a halfway house for mutants out here. She's a close friend of ours."

Nicole peered out the window at the large, Victoria style house. "Mama Belle?"

"She prefers to be called that. She's a wonderful woman, and she works wonders with the teens that come here. She's a healer… that's her power."

"Well, let's get going. It's damn hot and I need a beer." Dom grabbed Storm and Nicole's bags.

Storm smiled at Nicole as they watch Dom carry their bags off the jet.  
"That was unexpected."

Nicole grinned. "We'll civilize him yet."

"Get your asses in gear and stop talkin' about me!" Dom yelled.

The hot California sun nearly blinded Dom when he got off the plane. He put up a hand to shield his eyes and spotted an older woman standing on the front porch of the spacious house, set in the mountains outside of Oceanside, California. She waved them forward. She had long black hair that was in a long braid down her back.

"That's Belle," Storm waved back.

"Ororo Munroe! It's been ages, darling!" Belle wrapped her arms around the taller African. "How I've missed you. Where's Charles?"

"He's handling the school right now. Graduation is coming up. Instead he sent someone very special to meet you." Storm held out her hand to Nicole and drew her forward. "This is Nicole Logan. Charles chose her as his successor."

"It's about time he made up his mind. It's a pleasure to meet you, dear. And who is this stud with you two?" Belle laughed and winked at Dom.

"This is Dominic James. More affectingly known as Dom."

Belle's features turned sad. "I never thought I'd here that name again."

Dom raised and eyebrow. "What?"

"The last time I saw you, you were barely walking. Yuri was always a little worried about you. You were such a small thing. How is Yuriko?"

"My mother died. Stryker found us," Dom said, bluntly.

"James warned her that one day she would have to face her demons. I'm glad some small part of her survived," Belle said, touching his arm.

"So am I."

"Let me show you all to your rooms. " Belle led them into the large house and some small children ran around their legs. "Outside you guys!"

Dom watched the small children with interest. One had wings much like a bat and the other had horns. The little girl with wings stuck her tongue out at him.

"Alyssa!" a voice reprimanded sharply. "Is that any way to treat guests?"

They looked to the doorway to see a beautiful blonde woman standing there. She smiled, her eyes twinkling. Dom noticed that one of her eyes was blue and one was green.

"Storm, Nicole, and Dom, I'm like you to meet Jessica. Jessie, as she is more fondly called, is one of my oldest students. Jessie, these are some of Charles's X-Men."

"Nice to meet you three. Sorry about Alyssa. She's at that age." Jessie held out her hand to Storm. "It's awesome to meet you guys."

Belle smiled. "Jessie has some extraordinary powers. She can gather light energy and compress it."

Dom raised an eyebrow and Nicole laughed. "Explain it slower for him."

"It's simple," Jessie held out her hands and slowly brought them closer. A white ball of light formed between her fingers. "I compress light. They call me Daystar."

"You and Jessie will be bunking together," Belle said to Nicole. She turned to Jessie. "Would you show Nicole to your room? I'll take Dom and Storm to theirs."

"Sure, Belle. Follow me." Jessie led Nicole down the hallway. "So who's the hunk?"

"Huh? Oh, that's Dom."

"He your boyfriend?"

"Oh, no. He wishes."

Jessie shrugged. "Why not? He's cute."

"Dom and I were involved once… It didn't work out. I'm dating a guy named Darryl from school." Nicole laughed. "I barely know you, Jessie, and I'm blabbing like an idiot!"

"People always seem to open up to me." Jessie shrugged. "It's a gift. Welcome to our room. It's not much, but its home."

Nicole sat down her bags and saw a picture of Jessie with a tall dark headed man. He had shoulder length brown hair and was smiling brightly. "Who's that?"

"That would be Daniel. He's… a good friend."

"Good friend, huh? He's cute. I like his hair."

"So do I… When he keeps it long."

"Does he live here too?"

"No… well… sometimes. Daniel is one of the front men for the Mutant Liberation Front. He comes by sometimes."

"Mutant Liberation Front… I've heard of them. Professor Xavier knows some of them."

Belle came to the door. "Dinner will be ready in five. You all had better be hungry."

Both girls rolled their eyes and grinned at one another. Jessie held out her hand. "I think you and I are going to be great friends."

* * *

Belle watched as Dom sat outside on her porch smoking a cigarette. She looked down at the book clenched between her fingers and she took a deep breath. She walked out on the porch and stood next to him.

"Hello Dominic."

He looked up and her and nodded. "Belle."

She snorted. "I remember when you used to call me Nana."

"Sorry, Nana."

She smiled and sat down next to him. He put out his cigarette. "Thank you."

He shrugged and stared out at kids playing in the yard. "How long were we here?"

"Fourteen wonderful years."

He nodded. "Were we happy?"

"Yes. You… your mother… and James."

"James?"

"He was your mother's only love, besides you. She left me this to give you someday if something was to happen to her." Belle handed him the book. "She also wanted you to have her tags."

Dom took the chain that Belle held out to him and studied the engraving. 458-65-875 and Deathstryke. His mother's numbers and name.

"The book is full of pictures and mementos."

Dom opened the book and saw himself as a baby. He started to flip through the book, slowly, examining his life.

"I can only remember some… It comes back to me slowly," he confessed. "Thanks Belle."

She nodded. "You two fought the good cause. It was a honor to have you in my house."

"Thank you."

Belle left Dom to his musings and Jessie wandered out onto the porch.

"Sorry, am I intruding?"

He shook his head. "Belle found memories for me and I was just getting lost in them I guess."

She smiled. "Your mother must have loved you."

He nodded. "What did you want?"

"Oh, I was just leaving Nicole alone to talk on the phone with her boyfriend. He sounds… dull."

Dom smirked. "He looks like a walking ad for American Eagle."

Jessie grinned. "She said you hated him."

He nodded again. "With a passion."

"Because you love her?"

"With a passion." He changed the subject. "So you got a boyfriend?"

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Nah. I couldn't be so lucky… I was in love once."

"With who?" Dom asked, interested.

"His name is Daniel… He lives here… sometimes. He travels a lot."

"Did he love you back?"

"I think so."

"He a mutant?"

"Yes. One with the amazing power of his head continuously stuck up his ass."

Dom laughed.

"No… He has wings... One a lot like Warren Worthington's, but Daniel has black feathers… and they retract. They call him Devil."

"Where's he at now?"

"Wherever the Mutant Liberation Front takes him. They fight to free mutants from prisons and other unlawful holding pens."

Dom nodded. "Like labs?"

"Like labs. He's gone a lot… I miss him. He comes and visits every once in a while."

Dom took a long drag off his cigarette. "He'll come around. You're beautiful and no man can stay away from a beautiful girl like you for long."

She blushed. "Thanks, Dom."

"No trouble."

Nicole came to the door, a distressed look on her face.

"What's wrong, doll?"

"Nothing. Darryl is just busy all the time. He never has time to talk anymore."

"Boyfriends suck." Jessie mused.

Dom laughed and ground out his cigarette. "_Cset la vie_, kids. That's life."

Jessie stretched and yawned. "Well, I'm turning in since we have to be up early tomorrow to hunt down that girl."

"We?" Dom raised an eyebrow.

"Storm and Nicole both agreed I'd be helpful. I may even come back to Xavier's with you all."

She left them with that and went to bed. Dom looked at Nicole, uncomfortable.

"You can run away if you want to. I won't chase you," Nicole said, quietly.

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I lo-"

"I know."

"Will you ever?"

She shrugged. "Darryl loves me and he won't run Dom."

"I didn't ask about Darryl."

"I do love you, Dom, you know I do."

He nodded and took her hand, kissing the palm. "Maybe in the next life."

She shrugged and leaned down to brush her lips against his cheek. "Maybe."


	12. The Affair

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the X-men. Marvel owns them.(Someday… they will be mine!) I do however own Dom (SCORE!) and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire. Additionally this chapter I own Daniel (Devil) and Jessie(Daystar).**

**Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.**

**Welcome back kiddies! Sorry about the delay. Major writer's block and work and life on the farm really drag you down. **

**Dedications! I'd like to dedicate this chapter and give a shout out to Starbaby-210. You may be horrid at English, but you got some good ideas. Think of the dot, girlie!**

**Oh yeah… Mutant Liberation Front is different than one in comics and such. Thought I had an original name but no…. Stupid Stan Lee already owns it too! Grr…..**

**Lcm- I try… I really do. Dom has become quite popular and I like Nicole a lot cuz she's like me.**

**Mm4ever2gether- I thought the Xavier choosing Nicole instead of jean would be a cool little twist, plus I never really liked Jean's character… too preppy. Thanks.**

**Starbaby-210- hey loser! Calm down and breath like a good girl.

* * *

**

Dom kicked the angry man off of him and turned back to the girl behind him.

"Krystal right? I want you to concentrate real hard and knock the fuck out of those guys." Dom pointed towards the group of men fighting Storm.

The small brunette nodded and concentrated a giant ball of psi energy and launched it at the men, knocking them in all directions.

"Good job, kid. Now run for the jet!" Dom released his claws and headed towards the men.

**Dom**, Nicole thought to him, **No claws. They don't know what their doing.**

Dom gave a growl and resheathed his claws. This wasn't going to be any fun. He turned to watch Nicole using her telekinesis to throw men away from her. With another low growl, he headed towards them. That's when he saw the man with the pistol in his hand.

"NICOLE!" Dom yelled and the gun went off. Nicole turned and Dom watched in horror as the front of her shirt turned red with blood.

With her last bit of energy, Nicole threw the man against a building, knocking him, unconscious. Dom gathered her into his arms and ran for the jet, with Krystal, Jessie, and Ororo close behind. He laid her on a table and examined the wound on her shoulder.

"Nicole, turn on your powers for a minute, doll. I'm going to heal you."

"No!" she gasped. "No."

"Nicole-"

Jessie pushed him away. "She said, no, Dom. I can fix it."

Dom watched as Jessie began to compress small amounts of light to close the wound. When she finally finished, they had landed in Belle's backyard.

"She'll need to rest for a little while and take it easy," Jessie said as Dom carried her off the plane. She's still-"

"Jessie!"

They all looked up to see a man running towards them.

"Daniel? What are you doing here?"

"I was back for a visit. What happened?"

"Nicole was hurt."

"What happened?" Daniel followed them inside where Dom took her to the nearest spare bedroom and deposited her on a bed.

"She was shot trying to protect me," Krystal said. "Is she going to be okay?"

Dom nodded, examining the now closed wound on Nicole's chest. "Damn it, baby girl. Why didn't you let me fix it?"

"I've got enough of you up here." Nicole tapped her head, gently and smiled. "Thanks for the offer, handsome."

Belle bustled into the room with a first aid kit in hand. "Out of the way, all of you. I'll tend to Nicole. Get out of here and get Daniel and Krystal situated. Sit up a little, ducky. Take these and they'll help you rest."

Dom gave a low growl and Nicole pushed his arm. "It'll be fine. Go."

Belle helped her sit up and swallow a few pills. Dom let Jessie and Storm push him from the room and outside. He stared at the closed door.

"Relax, Dominic. She'll be okay. The bullet didn't puncture anything. It only grazed her shoulder. It wasn't too deep," Jessie reassured him.

"She was bleeding a lot."'

"It wasn't that bad."

"I'm going to wait here."

Jessie shrugged. "She'll be out for a while.

"I can wait. You'd better go. You've got someone waiting." Dom nodded his head towards Daniel, who was leaning against a doorframe down the hall.

She glanced briefly at him. "Yeah… Tell me when she wakes up?"

Dom nodded.

Jessie turned and walk down the hallway towards Daniel. "Hi."

"Hey, cutie."

"What are you doing back?"

"I had some business in San Francisco and thought I'd stop by. How are you?"

"As good as I can be I suppose. You?"

"I miss you, Jess."

"Oh?" Jessie tried to sound nonchalant as she walked outside, with Daniel following her.

"Of course. You're one of my best friends."

"Oh."

"How are things here?"

Jessie shrugged. "Same old."

"Apparently not, what with these new people. Who is that guy?"

"Who? Dom? He's from Xavier's school in New York. He's the Wolverine's son."

"And the girl?"

"Nicole. She's Xavier's successor. They came to get that girl and see if she wanted to go back to New York with her."

"Ah… and with you?"

"Me? I've just been hanging around here. Nicole and I have become friends."

"No boyfriend?"

Of course not, you dolt, she thought. "No."

"Surprising."

"Why's that?"

"C'mon, cutie. You should be beating off guys with sticks."

"Should I?" she headed down the steps and a large black wing stopped her.

"Jess, what's wrong?" Daniel used his wing to pull her back to him.

"You! You run off and join some freedom fighter's club for mutants and don't give a rat's ass about me!"

His eyes widened in shock. "Jess-"

"Leave me alone!" Jessie pushed his wing away and raced to her room.

Daniel looked back to Dom and Belle standing at the top of the stairs. "What did I do?"

"You left her, Daniel. Just when she cared for you the most."

Dom felt like he had been punched in the gut. It was like watching himself and Nicole all over again. "C'mon."

Daniel raised an eyebrow at the man before him. "Why?"

"We need to talk."

Daniel followed the man outside and they sat on the steps of the house.

"So you're the son of the mighty Wolverine."  
"My only claim to fame."

Daniel laughed. "Well, my name is Daniel. People often refer to me as Devil. I'm a member of Mutant Liberation Front."

"One of those violent protest groups?"

"No. We're strictly non-violent, but if the matter should arise, we can protect ourselves."

"Hmph… Listen now and listen close, because I'll only say this once." Dom took out a cigarette and lit it. "If you love her, then tell her. Don't let her get away like I did with mine."

Daniel sat in silence for a moment. "The life I lead is not one I want for her. We are always under protest from groups like Humanity First…"

"She'll be persecuted in any life. That's how it is being a mutant."

"You love that girl, Nicole… I love Jessie, but neither if us want the lives we live for them."

Dom nodded. "I've lost my chance. Get yours."

Daniel nodded. "I understand."

He stood and his jet black wings erupted from his shoulder blades. With two mighty flaps, he was in the air, and landing on the roof. Dom watched him and then went back to his bedside vigil.

* * *

Jessie sobbed into her pillow. He didn't care at all. She heard a noise at her window and it opened to reveal, Daniel.

"Jess?"

"Leave me alone."

"Will you talk to me, please?"

"No."

"I'm sorry… Please. Come out here and talk to me."

"No."

"Don't make me drag you."

"You try and I'll burn off all your feathers." Jessie held out her hand and compressed a small amount of light.

Daniel gave a low growl and scooped her into his arms. He took a flying leap out her window and flapped his wings. The effort caused them both to soar through the air. She was screaming and kicking.

"Put me down! Put me down!"

"I think it's time you cooled off!" Daniel hovered about the small lake beside Belle's home and dropped Jessie into it. The splash attracted all the members of the household and they gathered on the front porch. Jessie came to the top, sputtering, and headed for the shore. Daniel met her there.

"Cooled off now?" Daniel held his hand out to her. She smiled sweetly and took it, pulling him in beside her.

"Perfectly!" she said as he came up for air. "You jerk!"

He laughed and brushed his wet hair put of his face. "Well, I'm glad this helped."

He stood and gave his wings a great shake to get the water from them, and held his hand out to her. She took it and he helped her from the lake. They stood on the bank in silence for a moment, still holding hands.

"I'm sorry I left you like that. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know. I was just angry. I'm sorry I yelled."

His free hand went to her face, cupping it. "I love you, Jess."

Her mouth dropped open and he took the opportunity to lean down and kiss her. Her hands went up to clasp the back of his neck, and his went to her hips. His black wings enveloped her and hugged her to him.

He broke the kiss and smiled at her. "Well?"

"Huh?"

"This is where you're supposed to say, I love you, too." He grinned.

She chuckled. "You know I love you, you nut!"

He looked into her eyes. "Can you deal with this, Jess? With me being in the Mutant Liberation Front? I'm not going to be around all the time."

"I know."

"There's chances I'll be in battle."

"I know, but it's worth it. When do you leave again?"

"Three days… Want to spend them with me? Catching up for lost time?"

She nodded and he scooped her into his arms again, flying for her open window.

* * *

Nicole's eyes opened slowly. She felt like she had been sleeping for days. Sitting up, slowly, she saw Dom asleep next to her bed. He was in a chair with his head resting on the side of her bed. She reached down and stroked his hair. He stirred and woke.

Smiling, he asked, "How you feeling, doll?"

"Good. How long have I been sleeping?"

"Only about a day. You scared me."

"I'm sorry."

Belle came through the door. "Awake finally, I see?"

Nicole nodded. "Thanks to you and Jessie."

Belle reached out for the girl's arm and Nicole stiffened.

"You can control the pull, correct?" Belle asked Nicole.

"Yes… At first for only a short time, but now indefinitely. I didn't want to touch after Dom kinda died, but I still practiced in case anyone wanted to use my powers for evil. I'm just still kinda funny about it."

"But you can control it. That's all that matters. I'll leave you two."

Dom gave Nicole a smile after Belle left. "She kept trying to get me to go to bed."

Nicole snorted. "No such luck, huh?"

"Nope. You scared me, Nicole."

"I'm okay, Dom. See?" She wiggled her fingers in his face. "All my fingers work."

Dom smiled and kissed the fingers. "I'm glad."

"I'm sorry I scared you."

"It's okay." Dom was still holding her hand. He rubbed it, gently.

She cupped his cheek and ran her thumb over his lips. He leaned up to kiss her gently. She let him, but stopped after a moment.

"Dom… I… We… We shouldn't."

"I know, but, baby girl… I don't know if we could stop it if we tried." Dom climbed up into the bed with her, and she didn't stop him.

Nicole ran her hand up and down his arm, and he watched her with half closed eyes. She rubbed along his shoulders and up his neck. He leaned down and caught her lips with his. While their tongues delved in each other's mouths, Dom rested his hips between her legs. His hand traveled up her side to cup her breast and she moaned.

"Do you want this, Nicole?" Dom breathed in her ear. "I know I do, but so you?"

"Yes."

Dom ground his hips to hers and let her ease his shirt off his shoulders. With a gentle tug, he unbuttoned her shirt and dropped his head, to kiss along the top of her breast. Nicole threw back her head and she knew what it felt like to be alive.

"No regrets, right?"

"No regrets."

Dom peeled back her shirt, revealing her silky bra to him. Running his tongue over the silk he looked up to her half closed eyes.

"You aren't going to turn on the pull are ya? Maybe give me an 'orgasm to die for'?" He grinned.

She looked confused for a second and then recognition hit her. "You heard that?"

"You and Kitty are kinda loud, doll… I was right under your window."

She blushed. "Dom…"

"You look hot when you blush." Dom cupped her breast. "Maybe I should embarrass you more often."

Nicole turned even redder. "Dom… This is my… well…

"I know."

"Be careful with me?"

"Always, baby. Always." He began to pull off her silky gloves.

* * *

The meeting hall was packed with men and women, each with their own agenda, but all there for the same purpose. A lone light shone on the stage and a young, well dressed man stepped up to the podium.

Darryl stood at the podium and silenced the crowd. "Fellow members of Humanity First, I am pleased to announce that I have successfully infiltrated Charles Xavier's school and soon, we will have enough proof to push the mutant registration bill through Congress."

The crowd erupted in applause and he gave them a wave.

"Although this is good news, there is a down side. I have been forced to have a relationship with a mutant woman." He paused for effect. "This… freak is pursuing her doctorate in X-Genetics… The study of her own kind."

"Tell everyone what she does to people she touches!" a woman yelled.

"Her skin kills people. Is that what you want living next door to you, doctoring your children?" Darryl asked. "All I need is a little more time and we will be free of this mutant menace!"

The crowd erupted with cheers again and Darryl looked pleased with himself. Only a little more time and mutants would be second class citizens, nothing better than household pets. Those damn mutants wouldn't know what hit them.

* * *

Jessie awoke to the feeling of someone tickling her nose with a feather. She opened her eyes to see Daniel smiling down at her, one black feather in hand.

"Good morning."

"Is it already?" she moaned.

"Unfortunately. I need to get up and talk with Dom. Meet me back here later?" Daniel's hand went to her stomach.

"Of course."

Daniel got out of the bed and pulled on his jeans. Leaning back down to kiss her head, he winked. "Get dressed before you catch a chill."

Jessie smiled and stretched her body. Last night had been fun. Lots of fun. She got out of bed and pulled on her pajamas and robe. Walking downstairs she met with Storm and Belle in the kitchen.

"Good morning!"

Stormed smiled over her cup of coffee. "It seems to be."

Belle turned to look at the blonde girl and snorted. "You've got feathers in your hair."  
"Huh?" Jessie's hand went to her head and she found a few downy, black feathers. She blushed. "Oh."

Belle laughed. "It's about time he noticed you."

"You're damn right it is! He dumped me in the lake!" Jessie pouted.

"Yes, but he cares all the same," Storm pointed out. "Feel glad your relationship isn't as torrid as Nicole and Dom's."

"Didn't sound so torrid last night," Jessie mumbled. "I swear I could hear the bedsprings on the roof!"

Storm shook her head. "I hope they didn't do something they'll regret. Nicole has a boyfriend back home."

"She told me that… But she and Dom loved each other, right?"

"They do, but neither knows what to do about the other. I just hope this time in California doesn't mar their relationship any further."

* * *

Nicole giggled as Dom brushed his stubble against the soft skin of her stomach. She looked down at him over the silk of her bra. His tongue lapped at her bellybutton ring.

"What's this, doll?"

"Jean did it for me… So I wouldn't kill a piercer. It was my twenty-first birthday present from her. That tickles."

Dom rested his chin there and looked up at her. "Hmm… It's hot. I like it."

He grew silent and she toyed with his hair. "Hey… You okay?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking."

"Watch out world! What about? Not regretting last night are you?"

"Of course not. You're all I've ever wanted, doll. I was thinking about the MLF."

"The Mutant Liberation Front? Why?"

"It's intriguing."

"Oh… And the sight of me in a bra isn't?" she teased.

"Nah, you're more of a tease, baby." Dom rose up to meet her lips with his. "A nice tease."

"Thanks. Should we get up for breakfast?"

He shrugged. "Can you handle everyone's eyes?"

"How will they know?"

"You're kinda loud, doll."

She blushed. "Can you?"

"I'll just tell them to fuck off."  
"I will too."

"Breakfast then?"

She nodded and he got off her. He pulled on his jeans and lit a cigarette. He watched her pull on his shirt and a pair of pajama pants. Going to the door, she paused.

"Dom… What'll happen when we go back to New York?"

He shrugged. "We'll worry about it when we get there."

She opened the door and almost ran into Jessie. Jessie raised and eyebrow and then her jaw dropped open. Dom walked past them in the hall.

"What?" Nicole asked.

"You can't leave your room!"

"Why?"

"You have got a huge hickey on the side of your neck!"

"What? Dom! Were you going to mention this?"

Dom shrugged. "It looks good on you… Let's people know you're taken."

"Dominic!"

He grinned and walked on down the stairs. Jessie pulled Nicole back into her room and dug around for make-up.

"I can't believe he was going to let you walk downstairs like that."

"That's Dom for you, insistent that people know what belongs to him," Nicole said, dryly and looked in her mirror. Her eyes widened. "Holy crap! It looks like I had a date with a vampire."

"If you're going to be letting him suck on you, at least let him down it where you can cover it with clothes," Jessie said, sitting her down and beginning to cover it with make-up.

"I'll try to remember that next time."

* * *

Dom got out to the porch and saw Daniel sitting on the steps, reading a newspaper. "Any good news, flyboy?"

Daniel shook his head. "Not really, besides the fact that the MLF freed two German mutants from Russian forces."

Dom grunted. "This MLF… What do you do?"

Daniel sat down his newspaper. "We use legal means to free mutants oppressed by the governments of the world."

"Oh."

"And there are a few of us who use less conventional means to free mutants from laboratories and slavery holes."

Dom's interest perked. "Labs?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes. Much like the ones you and your father were subjected to."

"I was afraid of that. How much room do you have on your team?"

"Are you interested?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't."

"I defiantly could use a team member of your caliber… What about Nicole?"

Dom looked away. "Nicole's not really mine."

"She loves you. She sounded like yours last night."

Dom shook his head. "For last night and maybe two more before we go back, but then she's Darryl's. I can't give her the life she wants."

"Are you so sure of that?" Daniel asked. "I fear I can't give Jess the life she wants, but she's content with what we have. Maybe one day, with what I do, we can all have the lives we want."

Dom sat in silence for a moment and put out his cigarette. "Maybe, flyboy… Maybe."

* * *

_Jean used one hand to lift the Blackbird and the other to quell the water rushing towards them from the dam. She felt a power blaze through her like nothing she had ever felt before. The engines fluttered to life and Jean smiled. She knew they'd be okay. _

_**I love you, Scott.** She thought before the waves crashed into her._

_He body tumbled through the frigid waters, bashing her against things. Her powers enveloped her in a fiery cocoon until she was grabbed by an unseen force in the water. She was pulled ashore where she promptly passed out. She didn't know how long she lay there unconscious, but when she awoke, she saw a beautiful Asian woman kneeling beside her. The woman was checking her for broken bones._

_"Rest, Miss Grey. You are too powerful for something like this to kill you."_

_Jean tried to croak out a thank you, but the woman stood and disappeared into the woods. Jean sat up carefully, and took in her surroundings. She was in the woods near the newly formed lake. Who was that woman? How long had she been out? She rose to her feet, shakily and began to walk down the jeep trail towards what she had hoped was civilization._

Jean awoke from the all too familiar dream, clasping her blankets in one hand. She looked over at a slumbering Scott and around her room. She hadn't had that dream for years. The dream of what happened at Alkali Lake. The dream of that Asian woman.

**Jean, come to my office, please.** Xavier's voice came into her head and she grabbed her robe. Heading down the quiet and dark halls, she made her way to Xavier's office. When she got there, he was sitting behind his desk reading a piece of paper. He had a look of concern on his face as he gazed back up at her.

"Professor? What's wrong?" she asked at the look on his face.

"You had that dream again, correct?"

She nodded. "I thought they had stopped."

"So had I. Yet, I just received this…" He held the paper out to her and she took it.

"It's an email… Who from?"

Jean began to read.

_Dear Professor Xavier,_

_Hello sir. I have heard recent news that you may know the location of a certain mutant, my self and my life partner are looking for. His name is Dominic Logan James, and he is the son of Logan, or the Wolverine. He may also be using the codename, Fury. I am searching for this young man, as to the fact that I was his foster father for thirteen years and helped raise him. I am in desperate need to find him so that I know he is alive. Please contact me at my email address provided. Thank you and God bless._

_Elliot James_

_Prowl_

"Is this from Dom's family?"

"I believe his mother may still be alive." Xavier laced his fingers together. "If so this could mean a great deal to Dominic."

"What if it's a lie? What if it's just people after Dom?"

"We'll deal with it. No one will make Dom do anything he doesn't want to."

"For Dom's sake I hope this is real."

* * *

Dom stared at Nicole as she slept in his bed. He raked a hand through his hair. This affair was not going to end well at all. Nicole shifted in her sleep, her hand feeling for him in the dark. She awoke, groggy.

"Dom?"

"I'm here, baby." He was sitting beside the bed, on the floor. She ran her hand through his hair and watched the cherry of his cigarette glow in the dark.

"Come back to bed."

He shook his head. "Not yet. I'm smoking."

She leaned over the edge of the bed. "Are you worried about what'll happen when we go home?"

"Reading my mind?"

"No… I've been thinking the same thing. I love you, Dom… but you're too unpredictable."

"I know."

"Please don't make me make a decision like this."

"I won't, doll. Trust me. When we go back, you'll go back to Darryl and we'll pretend none of this happened. It'll be our memory."

He took her hand and kissed it in the dark.

"Our memory?"

He nodded. "Ours… Let's talk about something else."

He put out his cigarette and crawled back into bed with her. She snuggled up to him and he lazily raked a hand through her hair.

"What do we talk about?"

"Tell me about school."

"What about it?"

"What are you studying?"

"X-Genetics. I'm going to be a doctor like Jean."

"This quick? Aren't you already in medical school?"  
"Yeah. I finished college at NYU in two years and now I'm halfway through medical school. Two more years there and one for residency, which Hank is going to set up for me at Xavier's and I'll be Dr. Nicole Logan."

"Impressive."

"Thank you. I've worked my ass off."

Dom pressed a kiss to her head. "I know, baby. I know."

"I know you don't want to talk about it anymore, but… Tomorrow we go home, Dom… I'll miss you."

"I know. I'll miss you."

* * *

Jessie stared up at the stars, leaned back against Daniel as they sat on the roof. "Wow… It's pretty out here tonight."

"Mmm…" Daniel kissed her neck. "I'm going to miss this."

"Don't remind me." Jessie turned to face him. "Promise you'll visit me at Xavier's?"

He nodded. "Whenever I can."

Jessie was silent for a moment. "Is Dom leaving with you?"

"Maybe. He seems interested in the MLF. Why?"

She shrugged. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing? Going to Xavier's?"

"Cutie, he could teach you so much about your powers. I think its great you're going."

"Yeah, but what about Belle?"

"Don't worry yourselves about Belle. She'll manage. Besides that Krystal is turning out to be a big help."

"Come with me to Xavier's."

"You know I can't. I have a duty to the MLF."

"I know." She sighed. "I just thought I'd try."

He laughed. "I promise I'll come and visit you! Every damn chance I get."

She hugged him, tightly, not wanting the moment to fade. He hugged her back, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"I love you, you big dork."

"I love you, too, cutie."


	13. Going, Gone

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the X-men. Marvel owns them. (Someday… they will be mine!) **

**Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.**

**I am so sorry I haven't updates for a while! I've been working on the farm and been busy with getting ready for school. I have been crazy busy.**

**Mm2gether4ever- Thanks for being the only one who reviewed this chapter! You win the prize! I don't know what the prize is, but you win it!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Daniel. I get my best inspiration on fights and love from you, DK.

* * *

**

"You're home!" Rogue leapt into Dom's open arms and he spun her around. "I'm so glad! I missed you guys."

"Thanks mommy."

Rogue released him and hugged Nicole. "You too! We're they good for ya Storm?"

Ororo grinned. "Perfect angels."

Nicole laughed. "Rogue, meet Jessie. She came back with us from Belle's."

Rogue shook Jessie's hand. "Good to meet you! Come on inside. Jean and I baked a cake and we've got ice cream."

Dom turned back to the jet and bent to pick up everyone's bags. Nicole bent to grab some too.

"I got it, ba-… doll."

"Thanks, Dom."

Rogue raised an eyebrow at the pair and looked to Storm and Jessie. They both shook their heads as Logan came their way. Dom brushed past his father with a nod of his head. Logan's nostrils flared and he looked to Nicole.

"Nicole."

"I missed you too, Logan." Nicole grinned.

"He's covered in your scent," Logan growled.

"We have been on a plane together for like five hours."

"No. He-" Logan sniffed her. He could smell Dom all over her too. "Nicole…"

"Back off, Logan." Nicole warned. "It was nothing, just something we had to get out of our systems. It's over."

Logan hugged her to him. "I didn't mean it that way, Nicole."

"Yes you did, Logan. It's okay." She poked him in the stomach. "So have you gotten Rogue pregnant yet?"

"Nicole!"

"What?"

* * *

Dom stared at the piece of paper that Xavier had just given him. An actual letter from someone named James. Visions of a tall, blonde man came to his head and he stared hard at the name.

"Elliot James. Prowl." Dom shook his head. "I remember a little, a quick glimpse of his face is all."

"But you do remember him?"

Dom nodded. "Yeah, and its good feeling memories."

"Shall we contact him?"

Dom shrugged.

"Do you want to know about any family you have left?" Jean asked.

Dom shrugged. "I found my dad, my mom is dead. What more is there?"

"More insight on your past. More of who you are!" Jean said, exasperated.

"I don't need any more insight, Red. I was made to be an unstoppable killing machine. I am Fury." Dom dropped his hands to his sides. "And now I might have found a way to stop this from happening to others."

Xavier smiled. "And how is that, Dominic?"

"The Mutant Liberation Front. Devil offered me a place on his team."

"And?"

"I might take it."

"If that's what you feel you need to do, then so be it."

"I'm still thinking it over." Dom went to the door. "It's a tough decision."

Dom left them in Xavier's office and headed for Ororo's gardens. He could hear voices and with a groan, he realized it was Nicole and Darryl.

"I've missed you, sweetheart." Darryl was cooing.

"I missed you, too."

"Being his successor… won't that mean you'll be gone a lot?" Darryl was asking her as they sat on a bench.

"It could mean that, yes."

Darryl pouted. "That means less time you'll have for me."

"I'll make time for you. I promise," Nicole said, letting him kiss her gloved hand.

"Okay. As long as you promise. How was the trip? I can't imagine it was at all pleasurable with that Dominic character."

Dom let out a low growl. He's show that little punk.

"I had a nice time. Dom was very civil towards me. There's more to him than what everyone else sees."

Darryl shook his head. "Only you could see it, my dear. He's such an animal."

"He can be, but he really does have a heart of gold."

"Who are you in love with? Me or him?" Darryl laughed.

"You, of course. He's still my friend."

"I understand. Are we still going to the show tomorrow? I have great seats."

"Yes. I can't wait."

Dom turned and started to walk away, sick of their love talk. Sick of himself. Sick of everything. He kicked a rock with his shoe.

"Hey lonesome," Jessie was sitting in one of the gazebos near his path.

"Hi."

"You look sad. What's up?"

"Sorry kiddo. I'm not one to open my heart to the world. I know Nicole did a lot of talking to ya, but-"

"But what?" Nicole asked from behind him. Darryl was holding her gloved hand in his.

"But I ain't the talkin' type," Dom finished. "See ya."

They all watched him stalk away towards the garage and Darryl nudged Nicole. "You think he's got a heart of gold?"

"Yes." Nicole stated.

Jessie laughed. "He's a good guy, Darryl… He's just… complicated."

"I see."

* * *

"Give me a shot of Jose Cuervo… Better yet, leave the bottle."

The bartender slammed the bottle and shot glass down in front of Dom and went on to his other customers. Dom poured a liberal amount in the glass and downed it and another. And another. And another. And another. And another.

Drinking so many, so fast gave Dom a slight buzz. He took a deep breath and turned to watch the people on the dance floor. Suddenly a tall, leggy blonde sat next to him.

"Hello, honey. You look lonesome tonight."

"What do you want, Mystique?" Dom recognized her smell and sensed her as soon as he stepped into the bar.

Her eyes shimmered yellow. "Like father like son, huh?"

"I guess. What do you want?"

"A girl's got to have a little fun. I saw you and you looked… drunk." She smirked.

"We'll, I'm getting there."

"How is your little girlfriend? The one who can't touch?"

Dom shrugged. "Ask her boyfriend."

Mystique smirked again. "Did she grow tired of you, fuzzy?"  
"There never was anything between us, you blue bitch. Now either, leave me the fuck alone or shut the fuck up."

"Deal." She sat in silence for a moment, sipping the beer in her hand. "I hear Prowl is looking for you."

"So?"

She shrugged. "He's a MLF member."

"Shut it or go away. I'd like to drown my sorrows in silence if you don't mind."

"Of course, Fury." She stood and gave me a smile. "If Xavier's goals seem dull after a while… hunt me down. I'll show you true power."

"Fuck off."

He watched that blue bitch zero in on some drunk across the room and he downed the rest of my tequila. He turned back to the bar and signaled for another bottle.

"Drowning your sorrows?" a familiar voice asked.

"Nah, just soaking them a bit." He turned to see Logan smiling. "What do you want?"

"Saw Mystique bothering you."

"I told her to fuck off."

"I heard. What are you doing here, kid?"

"Drinking apparently. Why aren't you with your new wife?"

Logan snorted. "She sent me to find you."

"Did she now?"

"She's worried about you. About you and Nicole."

"What's to be worried about?"

"Dom."

"Back off, Logan. I don't meddle in your life, so stay outta mine," Dom growled.

Logan sighed. "Come home soon."

"I'll work on that."

Logan left his son, wallowing in the bar. Going back outside to his truck, where Rogue was waiting, he climbed in.

"Well?"

"He's good and pissed," Logan said. "He's drank a whole bottle of tequila."

Rogue looked sad for a moment. "He worries me."

"You worry me. Too much stress can't be good for the baby." Logan's hand went to her stomach. "When can we tell everyone, darlin'?"

"I'm waiting for a good time. They all just got back and things are hectic. We'll tell them soon. I promise." Rogue kissed his palm.

"Okay… Do you think I'll make a good dad?"

"You did fine with Nicole and Dom."

"Yeah, but they were older. I'm talking about diapers and stuff."

"I don't see the mighty Wolverine felled by a dirty diaper, sugar."

"I'm not playing, darling. I'm worried-"

Rogue put a finger on his lips. "Relax. You will be an awesome dad."

"I'm glad you have faith in me."

"I've always had faith in you." Rogue leaned over and kissed him. "Let's go home."

* * *

The next morning Dom made his way back to the mansion after a long night of drinking. As he pulled up the drive he saw an unfamiliar vehicle in the drive. He parked the bike near a tree and snarled. There were men with guns near the SUV. He growled and stepped into their line of sight. He released his claws.

"Dominic!"

He turned to see Charles at the steps of the mansion with the man from his memories. The man was dressed in a black uniform, bearing the MLF symbol.

"It's okay. They are here with Mr. James." Charles assured him.

Dom let his claws come back and stood up straight. A word came to his lips before he realized it.

"Uncle."

James smiled at the young man who was like a son to him. "So you do remember?"

"Some. More and more every day."

"I'm glad to see you alive, Dom. I was worried after I learned Yuriko and yourself had been captured." James clasped the young man's shoulders in his hands. "Damn, it's been, what? Ten years?"

Dom nodded. "You seem the same."

"I've changed a lot. Let me tell you. Enough about me. I've got someone I want you to meet, kiddo." James led Dom inside the mansion.

A bubbly little blonde girl was playing with Logan, giggling the whole time. James smiled, proudly.

"That's Aiko Nori James."

"Who is she to-"

"She's your baby sister, Dominic," a low voice came from behind him and Dom turned to see a petite Asian woman. "Oh my Gods, you look just like Logan."

"Mom?" Dom's fell to his knees before the woman and she gathered his head to her stomach.

"Oh, my baby boy. I'm so glad you're alive. So very glad." Yuriko's hands went through his thick curls. "I thought that night in the lab was the last time I'd ever see you again."

Memories flooded through Dom's head and he breathed in his mother's familiar scent.

"Mommy, who's this?" Aiko asked, curious of who the tall man was her mom was hugging.

"Sweets this is Dom. You're big brother."

Aiko studied the big man before her and he held out an arm to her. He smiled. "_Konichiwa_."

"_Konichiwa_. You can speak Japanese too?" Her big blue eyes got wider.

"Of course." Dom ruffled her hair. "What other language would I speak?"

Dom got to his feet and Logan stepped over. He nudged Yuriko with his elbow. "See I told you we'd have a good looking boy."

"You only say that because he looks like you."

"Nah, he's got your eyes."

"His eyes are the same color as yours, Logan, but there is no doubt in my mind that my son is a beautiful boy. I am so glad to find you alive."

"Where have you been?" Dom asked. "I thought you died at Alkali?"

"My body rejected the adamantium little by little. I got out of there before the dam broke and found my way back to James. We joined the MLF a few years later and had Aiko. All this time we'd been searching for you. I thought they had killed you when we found the New Mexico base in ruins."

Dom shook his head. "I got away, after I killed everyone there."

Yuriko put her hand to her son's face. "My baby."

Aiko wrapped her arms around Dom's leg. "If you're my big brother, does that mean you'll teach me to ride a bike?"

Dom looked down and nodded. "Yeah."

Her eyes widened again. "Will you take me swimming in the deep end of the pool where Mommy doesn't let me swim alone?"

"Sure."

"Will you feed me chocolate ice cream and let me stay up late and watch scary movies?"

"I guess."

Aiko smiled at James. "Daddy, I like him!"

Dom laughed and scooped the little girl into his arms. "C'mon, I want you to meet the most beautiful woman in the world."

"Okay."

They watched Dom leave to head for Ororo's gardens with the little girl in his arms. Yuriko hugged Xavier.

"Thank you, Charles, for taking care of my son."

"He took care of himself, Yuriko."

Dom carried his sister out to Ororo's garden and almost ran into Darryl and Nicole.

"Hey, Dom. Who's this?" Nicole asked.

"Aiko meet Nicole. Nicole this is Aiko. My sister."

"You're sister?" Nicole's eyes widened. "That's means… your mom?"

"She's inside with Xavier. She's alive."

Aiko smiled at her brother. "She is the most beautiful woman in the world."

Nicole blushed. "She's adorable, Dom."

"My mom's inside… if you want to meet her."

"Sure. C'mon Darryl." Nicole led him inside and Dom watched them walk away.

"She's pretty." Aiko observed. "Do you think she'll do my makeup like hers?"

Dom gave his sister a smile. "Maybe, little bit. Maybe."

Nicole led Darryl into the foyer and smiled at the Asian woman standing with Logan.

"You must be Yuriko!"

Yuriko smiled at the woman before her. "And you must be Nicole. Logan was just talking about you."

Darryl felt a cold chill wash over him. The man and woman were both in MLF uniforms. Things would not go well with the MLF snooping around.

"Where did Dom take Aiko?" Yuriko asked.

The little blonde girl came back into the room, leading her brother around like a puppy. "And we can have tea parties, and I'll show you how to braid hair and mommy will make us cookies and you'll have to come to my birthday party. I'm going to be eight…"

Dom gave the group a lopsided grin as she launched herself into her mother's arms.

"I like him, mommy! Can he come home with us?"

"Sweetness, he lives here, with the X-men. He can't just up and leave."

James ruffled his daughter's hair. "We'll visit him and he'll see us, okay?"

The little girl pouted. "Okay."

Dom crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you both work under Devil?"

"No. We work in the New York base. Devil works in the Los Angeles base. We know him well though."

Darryl took Nicole's arm. "Maybe we should go, love. Let the family spend time together."

Logan grunted. "She _is_ family, bub."

'I just meant that-"

"Its okay, Darryl. I'd like to get to know them. Logan's right. They are my family."

Darryl nodded, knowing he wasn't going to be able to fight this. "Maybe I should go home then. You need to time to meet and greet. I'm sure it comes with the job."

"You don't have to go-"

'It's okay, dear. I've got a test to study for anyways," he kissed her gloved covered hand. "Remember our date."

Logan watched the guy walk away with narrow eyes. He didn't trust that bastard.

"I think this calls for a celebration!" Rogue laughed.

"Of course, Rogue," Xavier said. "Everyone is welcome to a dinner. I'll call up my chef's and have them whip up something special."

Yuriko took her son's hand. "Come on Dominic. Let's go and talk."

Dom followed his mother outside and they sat on a bench.

"I'm so happy to see you alive. I was afraid those scientists had killed you in the desert."

Dom shook his head. "I don't think I can be killed."

"Why's that."

He told her the story of Logan stabbing him and Nicole draining him.

"That bitch Astral was always causing trouble," Yuriko hissed. Her face softened. "Nicole… You love her?"

Dom looked away. "It doesn't matter. She'd rather not touch than have me touching her."

"Yet, you two are linked… her." Yuriko touched his forehead. "How?"

"California… Things happened."

"Oh… Give her time, Dom. She'll come around. What with you here all the time and supporting her-"

"I… Devil offered me a position on his team…"

Yuriko nodded. "And will you take it?"

Dom shrugged. "I have nothing holding me here, but her."

"Is she enough?"

"She loves Abercrombie, mom. Not me."

Yuriko was silent. "She does care for you or else California wouldn't have happened."

Dom shrugged. "Maybe it was lust."

"Or love."

Dom changed the subject. "How long are you staying?"

"Only until tomorrow. We have to go back to New York. James and I are heading to Nairobi for a mission. When we get back, you will come and stay with us for a while, won't you?"

"Of course. You know, mother, I'm starting to think there isn't anything that can kill us."

* * *

"Mama! I want butter on my corn!" Aiko yelped as Yuriko made her plate. Dom poked his sister with his fork.

"Hey, don't be bossy."

Aiko stuck her tongue out at him and laughed. Xavier watched the siblings, delighted in their instant bonding. Nicole watched them in interest, also, blushing when Dom's eyes caught hers as she sat next to him

"Dom said you are the most beautiful woman in the world… Would you show me how to do my make-up like yours so I can be the second most beautiful?" Aiko asked and ate a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

Nicole blushed. "You're brother is mistaken. I'm not the most beautiful woman in the world, but when you're old enough, I'll teach you make-up tricks."

Dom's hand went to her knee under the table and squeezed. "Don't kid yourself, doll. I don't lie."

Rogue tapped a glass as everyone settled. "I wanna make an announcement. I know this may seem sudden… but… Logan and I are gonna have a baby."

Everyone in the room went silent, staring at the new couple.

"Yes!" Dom grinned. "Two new siblings in one day. That's got to be some kind of record!"

Nicole giggled. "That's wonderful!"

Xavier smiled and raised his glass. "A toast… To new beginnings and a bright future."

Everyone raised their glasses and nodded, praying for the future Xavier envisioned. Dom took a long drink from his glass and glanced at Nicole as she carried on an animated conversation with Kurt. He watched her laugh and smile and he reached his decision. He knew what he had to do.

* * *

Nicole let the cup of coffee warm her hands as she stared down at it. She was seated outside a small café in Brooklyn. Slowly, she let her gaze, wander back to the man sitting across from her. Eric Leshner smiled over his drink.

"You seem nervous, my dear."

"I am. You are one powerful mutant, Eric."

"If you are so afraid of me, then why did you hunt me down for coffee?"

"I wanted to ask you about Dom."

"Ah, the amazing Fury…"

"That was what they called him wasn't it? Those doctors… Stryker."

"Yes."

"How do you know so much about him?"

"Over the years I had a few run ins with him and I do know quite a bit about Stryker's experiments. I ran into Dom when they were using him as an assassin in training."

"Dom is a lot like his dad…"

"Too much at times it seems. Why so curious about Fury?"

"Don't call him that… He has a name."

"I am quite aware. What is the real reason you hunted me down, young lady?" Eric sipped his drink.

"Xavier wants me to be his successor."

Eric raised an eyebrow. "Really? And what does this have to do with me?"

"I want your opinion, Eric. Am I strong enough to take his place?" Nicole asked. "You tried to get me to join the Brotherhood, because my powers were strong, right? Am I strong enough to do this?"

"Young one, I am your enemy. What do you care what I think?"

"Exactly. I want to know how I measure up."

"You are mad, child."

"Maybe… You helped design Cerebro. Am I strong enough to use it? Or will it crush me?"

"You ask too many questions, child." Eric sighed. "What id the others tell you?"

"That I am perfect for it."

He smiled. "That is a good word to describe you, my dear. Perfect."

"I'm far from it, Eric."

"No. You are it. Haven't you realized it yet? Or are you still dening what God has given you?"

"A curse?"

"A gift. You can borrow the strength, memories, and power from others. You can also use telepathy and telekinesis. Those are very powerful tools." He sat down his drink. "You will do this world a lot of good, young lady. I promise you that."

He rose and put on his hat. "Goodbye, Nicole. Next time we meet may not be under such good circumstances, but I'm glad to know that I'll have a good adversary and that Charles has some sense left."

She watched him leave and a smile came to her face. He was impressed with her too. Maybe this would work. She hurried home, to tell Xavier the good news.

* * *

Daniel pulled into the driveway of Xavier's mansion and smiled when he saw Jessie waiting on the steps. He got out and she leapt into his arms.

"Dork!" she squealed and kissed him deeply.

"Hey cutie!" He twirled her. "Missed me, I take it?"

"Only a little."

"Oh. Where's Dom?"

"Came here to see him and not me?"

"He's the one that called me and said it was important. I need to see what he needs. I heard he met his mom the other day."

"You heard right," Dom said from the doorway. "Can we talk… alone?"

Jessie scowled. "I hate you, Dom. You know it's going to bother me all day, not knowing what you two are talking about."

"I know. Go find Jubilee and do each others hair or something."

Jessie scowled and stomped into the house. Dom turned back to Daniel.

"Tell me again what you do."

"I free mutants from any kind of oppression, whether it be basic rights or from captivity."

"Like labs right?"

"Yes."

"I'm in."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure. I'm not letting anymore people like me get tortured in the name of science. Wait here. I'm getting my shit."

Dom turned and opened the door and Jubilee, Kitty, and Jessie fell out at his feet. "Nosy are we?"

"You can't leave!" Kitty protested.

"Why not?"

"Nicole will absolutely die!"

"Not my problem, furball."

"Dom-"

"Back off!" Dom growled and grabbed his duffel bag from near the doorway. "She doesn't want me! She made that clear as crystal!"

Jubilee started, "Dom… She does-"

Xavier came to them. "What is the problem here?"

"I'm leaving."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I'm joining the MLF."

"I'm saddened that you're leaving us, Dominic, but if you feel you must, then you must. I wish to extend the offer of if you ever want to come back, there will always be a room for you."

Dom nodded.

"You can't just let him leave!" Jubilee gasped. "What about Nicole! Dom you can't leave here like this!"

"Back off, firecracker!" Dom stormed out the door and to Daniel's vehicle. "Let's roll."

* * *

Nicole pulled into the driveway and saw Jubilee and Kitty sitting on the steps. She could tell something was wrong. She got out and ran to her friend.

"Jubes? What's wrong?"

"He's gone."

"Who? Remy? That bastard! I'll drain him dry-"

Jubilee shook her head, "No… Remy's here…"

"Who then?" Nicole asked as Jubilee took her hands.

"Dom."

Nicole felt as if all the wind was knocked form her body. "What?"

Kitty gave her a sad look. "Devil from the Mutant Liberation Front came here. Dom came to the house. He went to Xavier, said he was leaving, packed his shit and didn't even look back."

"He left with Devil?" Nicole was in shock.

Logan came out the door, pulling on a jacket, a snarl on his face. Rogue was trailing behind as fast as she could. He saw Nicole and the three girls and his features softened.

"Hey kid…"

"Where are you going?" Kitty asked.

"I'm going after that kid and dragging his punk ass back here."

"Let him go, Logan. He doesn't want to stay so don't make him," Nicole spoke, softly.

"I'm not going to let him just run away-"

"It's what you used to do. Like father like son," Rogue stated.

Logan was silent for a moment. "I don't want him to make the same mistakes I did."

"Don't worry, being me, I know all make all new ones," a voice came from behind Nicole.

She spun around and Dom stood there, a bag slung over one shoulder. "I thought you left."

"I forgot something." He took a few steps closer to her.

"What? Your toothbrush?" she remarked, sarcastically.

"No. This," Dom leaned over and put his hand on the back of her neck, pressing his lips to hers. Nicole let him explore her mouth with his tongue. Dom leaned back after a moment. "This is goodbye, doll. For good this time."

"No."

"Afraid so."

"Please don't leave again, Dom. I…"  
"You love Darryl, remember?" Dom's hazel eyes searched her and he turned to leave.

"No! Wait," Nicole grabbed his arm and he shook her off. "Dom!"

Dom kept walking, ignoring her pleas. Tears stung his eyes, but he kept walking. He heard feet pounding on the pavement and suddenly Nicole was in front of him. She pushed him, hard.

"I hate you!"

"Okay," Dom said, brushing her aside. As he got to the gates they were suddenly slammed shut in his face, almost breaking his nose. He whirled around with a growl to see Nicole standing arm outstretched.

"I'm not just letting you run away again."

Rogue snickered. "I should have tried that on his dad."

Dom gave a low growl. "Open the gate, Nicole."

"No. I'm not letting you run away from me. I love you too much to let you go."

"Open the damn gate!"

"No! I love you, Dom. I love you more than anything and it kills me to think you hate me and you want to run away from me. I won't let you leave. I'll use my powers and put you in a coma if need be."

Dom shook his head. "You and me can't work, doll. I'm sorry."

Tears came to her eyes and she pounded on his chest with her hands. "I hate you! Why can't you make up your mind and be like a normal guy?"

"I'm sorry."

"Where are you going? What'll you do?"

"I'm going where ever the Mutant Liberation Front takes me. I've found my cause, baby girl. I'll be stopping people like Stryker."

"You can do that here, with me!"

"No… I'll only cause things to be worse here. I love you, Nicole, that's why I'm going."

"Please stay."

"Go back inside, doll." Dom pushed her towards the house and pushed the gates back open. Nicole crumpled to the ground in a heap, sobbing. Dom resumed walking and didn't turn around. Once past the gates, he stopped, tears burning his eyes.

To Be Continued…

* * *

**So that's it… Or so you think! Look for my prequel story about Yuriko and Dom's early years called Rage and my sequel to Fury called Ire with follow the adventures of Nicole and Dom.**

**Okay this will anger a lot of people I know… But I'm going to do it anyway.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Daniel. I get my best inspiration on fights and love and tattoos and everything else you think you know everything about from you, DK.**

**Thanks and Love.**


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